Opinion Roundup: N.C.'s in COVID red-zone; schools and colleges ponder reopening; expanding voting opportunities; casino opening; and more

Monday, July 20, 2020 -- A round up of opinion, commentary and analysis on: COVID-19's toll; N.C.'s in COVID "red zone;" new rules to help boost voter turnout and GOP doesn't like that; short-changing school opening; new book explains legislature to kids; casino ground-breaking; jump-starting electric trucks; and more.

Posted 12:50 p.m. Jul 18, 2020 — Updated 12:24 p.m. Jul 20, 2020

Monday, July 20, 2020 -- A round up of opinion, commentary and analysis on: COVID-19's toll; N.C.'s in COVID "red zone;" new rules to help boost voter turnout and GOP doesn't like that; short-changing school opening; new book explains legislature to kids; casino ground-breaking; jump-starting electric trucks; and more.

CORONAVIRUS 2020

Halifax Co. principal of the year dies after fighting COVID-19 (WRAL-TV reports) -- Beloved principal of a Halifax County middle school died after battling the coronavirus. Teicher Patterson, principal of Enfield Middle STEM Academy, was in the hospital fighting the virus, according to Halifax County Superintendent Eric Cunningham. He worked in the school system for 28 years. "He loved his community and the children he served," Cunningham said Friday. "His last activity was participating in the local community parades to highlight the accomplishments of the 2020 graduates." Most recently, Patterson had been named Halifax County School's 2020 Principal of the Year.

As COVID-19 cases surge to 100,000 in NC, residents and doctors urge others to wear face mask (WRAL-TV reports) -- The Tar Heel State is approaching a grim milestone: nearly 100,000 confirmed coronavirus cases. Fortunately, there has a slight drop in hospitalizations, but residents and doctors say the state's number one defense against COVID-19 is wearing a mask.

WHITE HOUSE DOCUMENT SHOWS N.C, 17 OTHER STATES IN CORONAVIRUS “RED ZONE” (Center for Public Integrity) -- A document prepared for the White House Coronavirus Task Force but not publicized suggests North Carolina and more than a dozen states should revert to more stringent protective measures, limiting social gatherings to 10 people or fewer, closing bars and gyms and asking residents to wear masks at all times. The document, dated July 14 says 18 states are in the “red zone” for COVID-19 cases, meaning they had more than 100 new cases per 100,000 population last week. Eleven states, including N.C., are in the “red zone” for test positivity, meaning more than 10 percent of diagnostic test results came back positive. READ THE WHITE HOUSE REPORT HERE

Washington, N.C. mayor tests positive for COVID-19 (Washington Daily News reports) -- Washington mayor Mac Hodges says he has tested positive for COVID-19. On Monday evening, Hodges presided over the monthly meeting of the Washington City Council, and according to City Manager Jonathan Russell, all the employees that came into contact with the mayor are being tested. "It's out there now. I guess what you do is wear a maks and if you've got undelying conditions, stay home. It's here. It's in Beaufort County," Hodges said.

No end in sight, Congress confronts new virus crisis rescue (AP reports) -- It stands as the biggest economic rescue in U.S. history, the $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief bill swiftly approved by Congress in the spring. And it's painfully clear now, as the pandemic worsens, it was only the start. With COVID-19 cases hitting alarming new highs and the death roll rising, the pandemic's devastating cycle is happening all over again, leaving Congress little choice but to engineer another costly rescue. Businesses are shutting down, schools cannot fully reopen and jobs are disappearing, all while federal emergency aid expires. Without a successful federal plan to control the outbreak, Congress heads back to work with no endgame to the crisis in sight.

NC’s budget might not recover from coronavirus until 2023. Cooper wants federal help. (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- Gov. Roy Cooper is asking the federal government to help N.C. deal with a projected $5 billion decline in local and state revenue due to the coronavirus and resulting economic shutdown. With federal lawmakers expected to begin negotiations over another coronavirus aid package this month, Cooper laid out his priorities in a letter to members of the state’s delegation to Congress. The Democratic governor wants “robust and flexible” money for state and local governments, more protections for students and teachers returning to school, continued funding of expanded federal unemployment benefits and more.

Cooper Urges Congress to Pass Additional State Support for Coronavirus Response (The Insider reports) -- Gov. Roy Cooper and three other Council of State Democrats outlined the state’s priorities for a new federal coronavirus relief package in letters to members of Congress. Cooper’s letter included some dire financial numbers for state and local governments. “Combined with COVID-driven losses in the recently concluded FY 2019-20, the total local and state general revenue decline in North Carolina is in excess of $5 billion, with losses in dedicated transportation related revenues driving the combined total above $6 billion,” he wrote. “Current projections indicate that even assuming the eradication of COVID-19 in the near future, we are unlikely to return to previously expected 2020 revenue levels until at least 2023.”

The growing, grudging Republican acceptance of COVID-19 (N.C. McClatchy editorial) -- One by one, they’re coming around. Governors and senators and even, if briefly, a mask-wearing president. This week it was Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, who announced a move she’d previously resisted: a statewide mask mandate in the face of surging COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. “We’re almost to the point where our hospital ICUs are overwhelmed,” Ivey said Wednesday. “Folks, the numbers just do not lie.” This week it also was the Republican Party, which announced in a letter to delegates that it will hold a scaled-back convention in Jacksonville, Fla., next month. The new RNC 2020 will include a mix of outdoor and more-sparsely-attended indoor events - a concession the party and President Donald Trump resisted just weeks ago when the convention was to be held in Charlotte.

HANNAH CRITCHFIELD: Undocumented, uninsured and worried about ID requirements? You can still get free COVID-19 tests (N.C. Health News reports) -- Free testing sites seek to calm fears in Latinx community that lack of an ID could expose their immigration status.

Central NC health systems battle outbreaks, but confident of preparations (Carolina Public Press reports) -- Moore, Chatham counties face congregate outbreaks that threaten large populations of seniors. Meatpacking plant outbreak also poses health challenge.

'Supporting Black Businesses Is Supporting The Entire Charlotte Community' (WFAE-FM reports) -- It's been four months now since North Carolina shut down for the coronavirus. And though a lot of businesses have reopened, many are struggling, trying to get by with fewer customers and sales. Shanté Williams represents many small business owners as chair of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Black Chamber of Commerce. We spoke with her in late April, just after Gov. Roy Cooper extended the stay-at-home order. And we're checking in with her now.

Learning from our neighbors (Winston-Salem Journal editorial) -- Our neighbor to the north, Virginia, enacted a new set of temporary rules last week promoted by Gov. Ralph Northam to help protect workers during the coronavirus pandemic. The new regulations require employers to follow social-distancing guidelines, including providing hand sanitizer or access to sinks and regularly cleaning work surfaces. Employers will be required to provide masks to workers who deal with customers.

DOROTHY AGBAFE-MOSLEY & VICTOR AGBAFE: A path forward on COVID-19 and racial injustice in N.C. (Winston-Salem Journal column) -- The murder of George Floyd brings our nation’s racial injustices back to the fore. But structural racism is not only found in the criminal justice system. As the COVID-19 pandemic lays bare, racism also has pernicious effects on our health care here at home. Black North Carolinians make up 22% of the population, but 38% of cases and 35% of deaths. However, these effects are not limited to COVID-19. Black North Carolinians are far more likely to live with -- and die from -- diabetes, high blood pressure and other chronic diseases.

ALLEN JOHNSON: ‘We don’t cover our face in America!’ We should. In shame (Greensboro News & Record column) -- Maybe instead of trying to shame fellow Americans for their willful ignorance and self-centeredness, we should appeal to it — as in a PSA on a local sports talk radio station that forgets altruism and zeroes in on what’s in it for the listener. Wanna see football and the NBA return? the spot says on WSJS-AM (600), “then wear a bleepin’ mask.”

CAMPAIGN 2020

Judge weighs N.C. voting rule change demand with COVID-19 (AP reports) -- A judge is listening to arguments this week about whether the COVID-19 pandemic demands wholesale changes to North Carolina's voting systems this fall. U.S. District Judge William Osteen scheduled three days of hearings starting Monday involving a lawsuit by two voting advocacy groups and several citizens who fear current rules threaten their health if they want to vote. There's already been a spike in mail-in absentee ballot applications, presumably by voters who prefer not to venture out to in-person voting centers and precincts.

N.C. elections order could mean more early voting sites (AP reports) -- N.C.'s top elections administrator ordered that counties open a minimum number of early in-person voting sites this fall as a way to buttress ballot access during the COVID-19 pandemic. They'll also have to be open on otherwise optional voting weekends.

Emergency elections order requires masks, more early voting sites (WRAL-TV reports) -- Voters won't have to wear masks at election sites, but poll workers will.

Local election officials adapting to COVID-19 challenges (Greenville Daily Reflector reports) -- Space limitations are forcing Pitt County’s elections office to vacate one of its early voting sites, the county elections director said.

NC election rules expand early voting. Why GOP leaders claim it’s unfair (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- Early voting sites should be easier to find in this fall’s elections, at least in N.C.’s biggest cities, because of an order issued by the State Board of Elections. Republicans say the change to statewide voting rules is just a partisan ploy to help Democrats, but state officials say it’s necessary to help protect voters against coronavirus.

HALF TRUE: Tillis says Cunningham criticized program that helped 'his company' (PolitiFact/WRAL-TV reports) -- U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis said his opponent, Democrat Cal Cunningham, is a hypocrite for criticizing a program that helped 'his' company. But there's a lot of context missing that might give voters a different impression of the situation.

NC should act now to avoid voting problems seen elsewhere during the pandemic (N.C. McClatchy column) -- The chaos that unfolded during the recent primaries in Georgia, Wisconsin, and other states was unacceptable. Voters in those states, particularly people of color, faced countless barriers to voting – including waits of up to five hours at polling sites, broken voting machines, polling place closures, and absentee ballot delays. The general election is just months away, and North Carolina is running out of time. To run a safe and fair election this November, our U.S. Senators Thom Tillis and Richard Burr must urgently invest in and implement election protection reforms across the country so all Americans have equal access to the ballot box.

Trump's response lacks credibility (Winston-Salem Journal editorial) -- President Trump continues to do little to show the nation that he’s more interested in the public’s health than in his popularity and his reelection campaign. Last week’s outrages included his administration’s smear campaign against Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert. Fauci had been key to the administration’s coronavirus response until, apparently, Trump tired of being contradicted by factual information.

How Congress can stop gerrymandering: Deny seats to states that do it. (Washington Post column) -- Since the Supreme Court refuses to umpire the gerrymander game, state lawmakers will embrace the usual partisan manipulation that accompanies redistricting. Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the court last year in Rucho v. Common Cause, acknowledged that drawing districts to assure a party’s advantage was “incompatible with democratic principles,” but he concluded that the practice presented “political questions beyond the reach of the federal courts.” They’re not beyond the reach of the House of Representatives, though. The most direct path to resolving the perpetual challenge of gerrymandering lies with the House. Quite simply, it can refuse to seat a state delegation achieved through excessive gerrymandering. It has that power. And it can use it to create a process that would prevent hyperpartisanship in setting congressional district lines.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2020

More NC Workers See Medicaid Expansion as Racial Justice Issue (Public News Service reports) -- Black Americans are more than twice as likely as whites to die of COVID-19, but even before the pandemic, racial health disparities too often cut short the lives of people of color. N.C. is one of a handful of states that has refused billions of federal dollars to cover Medicaid costs for a half-million additional low-income workers. Darrion Smith is in the N.C. Public Service Workers Union, and a member of Black Workers for Justice. He said for years, workers of color have advocated for Medicaid expansion in the state - and the current public health crisis illustrates why.

Legislators say local law-enforcement officials did not request controversial death investigation records bill (Winston-Salem Journal reports) -- The insertion into N.C. Senate Bill 168 of controversial language addressing the confidentiality of death investigation records WAS NOT done at the request of Forsyth County law-enforcement officials, according to the legislator responsible for its inclusion. Rep. Josh Dobson, R-McDowell, and co-chairman of the House health committee, said Friday the language was added to SB168 on June 24 on behalf of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

New book teaches kids how state legislatures work (Greenville Daily Reflector review) -- A legislative assistant and an East Carolina University professor have teamed up on a book that teaches children how state legislatures work.

Dave Craven appointed to fill out Tillman's term in N.C. Senate (AP reports) --A banking executive was appointed on Friday to the North Carolina Senate, succeeding the retired Sen. Jerry Tillman.

WHITE HOUSE JUNKET (The Insider reports) -- Senate leader Phil Berger and six Republican state legislators were in Washington, D.C., last week for a White House event on deregulation. Berger said the group met with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office and “his push to relieve the immense federal regulatory burden that has built up over decades will pay dividends to our economy for many years to come.” Berger also “participated in a roundtable discussion on deregulation with leaders from other states and senior White House officials, including EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler and Director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow,” according to a news release from Berger’s office. The other legislators at the White House visit were Sen. Bob Steinburg, R-Chowan, Sen. Carl Ford, R-Rowan, Sen. Norm Sanderson, R-Pamlico, Rep. Lisa Stone Barnes, R-Nash, Rep. Kevin Corbin, R-Macon, and Rep. Steve Jarvis, R-Davidson. Some of the senators were in the same room the previous week with Sen. Danny Britt, who has COVID-19. All of the legislators who met with Trump were first tested for coronavirus, and they tested negative, according to Berger’s office.

MONUMENT(al) CHANGE

Trump pushes back on renaming of Fort Bragg (WRAL-TV reports) -- Fort Bragg is one of 10 military bases around the South named after Confederate leaders. Gen. Braxton Bragg, who served in the Confederate army and owned a plantation where people were enslaved, is the namesake of Fayetteville's own Fort Bragg.

Thousands to walk off job to protest racial inequality (AP reports) -- Organizers of a national workers strike say tens of thousands are set to walk off the job Monday in more than two dozen U.S. cities to protest systemic racism and economic inequality that has only worsened during the coronavirus pandemic. Dubbed the “Strike for Black Lives,” labor unions, along with social and racial justice organizations from New York City to Los Angeles, will participate in a range of planned actions. Where work stoppages are not possible for a full day, participants will either picket during a lunch break or observe moments of silence to honor Black lives lost to police violence, organizers said.

Celebrating black fatherhood: Durham musician pushing for more representation in media (WRAL-TV reports) -- Durham musician and UNC professor Pierce Feelon described his song as a dynamic blend of hip-hop, jazz and electronic music.

Former Durham Police Department headquarters vandalized, 23 arrested (WRAL-TV reports) -- Protestors broke into and did damage inside the former Durham Police Department headquarters Saturday evening.

POLICY & POLITICS

Husband and son of federal judge shot at New Jersey home (New York Times reports) -- A gunman shot the son of a federal judge at her home in New Jersey on Sunday, according to an official with knowledge of the situation. He had died and the judge’s husband had also been shot. The judge, Esther Salas, was home at the time of the shooting at her residence in North Brunswick, New Jersey, but was not injured, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the authorities had not made any public statements.

Son of US District Judge Esther Salas killed, husband shot (AP reports) -- A gunman shot and killed the 20-year-old son of a federal judge as he answered the door of the family home Sunday in New Jersey and shot and wounded the judge's husband before fleeing, according to judiciary officials. The shootings occurred at the North Brunswick home of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, and killed her son, Daniel, Chief District Judge Freda Wolfson told The Associated Press. Her husband, defense lawyer Mark Anderl, was injured in the attack, Wolfson said.

'Father' of NC's Mountains to Sea Trail reaches milestone, continues hike toward bigger goal (WRAL-TV reports) -- At nearly 86 years old, Howard Lee isn't slowing down.

Unemployment rate falls to 7.6% in June (AP reports) -- North Carolina's jobless rate declined dramatically in June, the state announced on Friday, as restaurants, hotels and retailers bounced back since Gov. Roy Cooper's COVID-19 restrictions were eased.

American Airlines to lay off nearly 750 workers at RDU, in Cary (WRAL-TV reports) -- American Airlines plans to lay off about 750 workers in the Triangle by October because of plunging demand for air travel, adding to the toll that the virus pandemic is taking on the airline industry.

Vegas coming to Charlotte area: Catawbas plan casino groundbreaking for Wednesday (Charlotte Observer reports) -- After years of on-again, off-again efforts, the Catawba Indians plan to break ground Wednesday on a nearly $300 million casino 35 miles from Charlotte in Kings Mountain. A tribe official on Friday confirmed the plans that would bring Vegas-style gambling to the Charlotte area. The Catawbas plan to open the casino in late spring or early summer of next year. Over the past 18 months, developer Wallace Cheves has given nearly $500,000 to President Trump, the Republican Party, U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis and Lindsey Graham and other GOP lawmakers, according to the Federal Election Commission. The Eastern Band also has been a big donor. Since 2019 it has given $213,000 to national party groups, equally divided between Democrats and Republicans.

Vegas-like casino near Charlotte to have groundbreaking ceremony (AP reports) -- A groundbreaking ceremony is planned for a new Vegas-style casino near Charlotte.

EDUCATION

Guskiewicz signals plans to bring UNC students back to Chapel Hill campus may have to change (WRAL-TV reports) -- UNC students are expected to head back to Chapel Hill next month for the fall semester, but Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz signaled that that plan may have to change.

UNC campuses must submit plans for 50% budget cuts as COVID-19 worst case scenario (N.C. Policy Watch reports) -- The UNC System is preparing for possible budget cuts of up to 50% at its 17 campuses, according to an email. The email, from UNC Board of Governors Chairman Randy Ramsey to the system’s chancellors, cites the potential impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the possibility that campuses may again close after reopening next month. In the email Ramsey asks the chancellors for several documents: A report from each chancellor on the financial impact of closing their campus and reducing tuition and room and board fees; A plan from each chancellor to reduce their budgets by between 25% and 50%, to account for the reduced revenue resulting from reduced enrollment under various degrees of closure; A projection of how the cancellation of fall athletics will affect each campus and their specific plans for revenue shortfalls; A General Administration analysis of the long-term impact on “UNC institutions that have struggled financially and remain on shakier financial footing.”

N.C. private, charter schools reap millions in PPP loans (Asheville Citizen-Times reports) -- Even high-tuition boarding schools said the pandemic tested their financials. Still, some say more money shold instead be given to district schools.

Johnston County teachers, parents petition for in-person classes (WRAL-TV reports) -- Parents and teachers started a petition online pushing for Plan, the hybrid model of both in-person and online instruction in schools.

Private schools see enrollment increase after announcing return to the classroom (Greenville Daily Reflector reports) -- While parents of Pitt County public school students await a decision on how their children will return to school this fall, area private schools are reporting spikes in enrollment.

Pandemic could push more N.C. families to home school (AP reports) -- Until recently, Bruce Hirsch hadn’t seriously considered home schooling. Content sending his 7-year-old son, Jonathan, to public school at Haw Creek Elementary in Asheville, the retired doctor doubted whether he’d have the patience to facilitate his son’s at-home curriculum.

Cumberland schools chief is wise to request delay for in-person learning (Fayetteville Observer editorial) -- Skepticism of the county’s school plans is emerging from a critical constituency — teachers.

SALLIE PERMAR, IBUKUN AKINBOYO & SARAH ARMSTRONG: Some kids are going back to school – are we using the right metrics to inform reopening plans? (EdNC column) -- Gov. Roy Cooper announced the preferred reopening plan for North Carolina schools. The plan spells out details to allow for in-person or virtual learning and prioritize safety measures to mitigate COVID-19 transmission among children, staffers and teachers. It’s refreshing to see attention focusing on children’s well-being, as they have suffered many losses during the pandemic. Now we must ensure that we support students, staff, and teachers as schools reopen by providing the resources schools need and defining school-specific metrics to inform the risks and benefits of keeping schools open.

Reopening Needs A New Plan B (Southern Pines Pilot editorial) -- Whether he knew it or not, N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper did Moore County a huge favor.

Reopening schools (Greensboro News & Record editorial) -- State and the federal governments could — and should — provide help to ease the transition. This is why the American Academy of Pediatrics, which prefers in-person instruction, also has said that “reopening schools in a way that maximizes safety, learning, and the well-being of children, teachers, and staff will clearly require substantial new investments in our schools and campuses.” You would think that such support from state and federal lawmakers would be a given at a time of national crisis. And, so far, at least, you would be wrong.

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

N.C. joins 15-state coalition seeking to jump-start transition to electric trucks (WRAL-TV/TechWire reports) -- A coalition of states is following California’s lead in setting goals to jump-start a transition to electric-powered trucks, vans and buses in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality.

'Father' of NC's Mountains to Sea Trail reaches milestone, continues hike toward bigger goal (WRAL-TV reports) -- At nearly 86 years old, Howard Lee isn't slowing down.

With pipeline canceled, big factories will reject Eastern N.C. (Wilmington Star-News reports) -- They say high energy users want natural gas; opponents of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline reject that argument

Recycling Remains On Hold in Nags Head (Coastal Review reports) -- Uncertainty and rising costs prompted Nags Head commissioners to halt the town’s curbside recycling program in May, but service still hasn’t resumed as visitors arrive in droves.

... MORE

ROBERT W. BROAD (Walker Funeral Home obituary) --- Robert W. Broad (Bob), 84, of Chapel Hill passed away on July 16. He was the husband of Molly Corbett Broad, former president of the University of North Carolina system. Once the world has moved beyond our current environment, the family will plan a celebration of Bob’s life at a time and location that will allow for a gathering of friends and family. Molly says often, for the first 20 years I followed him, the next twenty years he followed me, followed by twenty years doing everything together. Bob was equally comfortable doing the leading and the following, and his favorite was doing the together part. This was never more evident than the period where Molly was President of the University of North Carolina, and Bob was its “First Man”.

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