Opinion Roundup: NASA astronaut says to 'break out of your comfort zone'; 'Silent Sam' deal thrown out; possible sales tax revenue revamp; humpback whales; and more.

Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020 -- A round up of opinion, commentary and analysis on: NASA astronaut Christina Koch's says to 'do what's just out of your reach', judge throws out $2.5 million 'Silent Sam' deal; early voting begins; print journalism takes another major hit; a chance to see some humpback whales; and more.

Early voting starts for NC's March primaries (WRAL-TV reports) -- Election season has arrived in N.C. as early voting for the March 3 primaries starts.

Sanders and Biden lead in N.C. Democratic presidential primary (High Point University Poll) -- North Carolinians planning to vote in the 2020 Democratic primary for president prefer U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden to other candidates. Sanders leads Biden 25% to 19% among self-identified, registered Democratic voters and unaffiliated voters who said they would participate in the Democratic primary. Biden draws, however, 24% of a smaller group of voters that are most likely to vote in the Democratic primary, compared to 20% for Sanders. In the Republican primary for president, incumbent President Donald Trump has the support of 88% of self-identified, registered Republican voters and unaffiliated voters who said they would participate in the Republican primary.

Bloomberg, surrogates for Sanders, Biden come to N.C. (AP reports) -- N.C.'s primary elections are heating up with presidential candidates and their surrogates visiting as early in-person voting begins.

Will black voters get behind a new candidate to take on Trump as Biden struggles? (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- Democrats in two of the country’s whitest states have spoken. Now begins the battle for black voters, with the Carolinas on the front lines. As recently as two months ago, polls suggested that Joe Biden’s lead in the African American community was insurmountable, making Barack Obama’s vice president the heavy favorite to win the S.C. primary on Feb. 29 and in N.C. three days later, on Super Tuesday, March 3. But after Biden’s distant fifth place in Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary — coming a week after finishing fourth place in Iowa — many pundits and political scientists have begun writing his political obituary.

Michael Bloomberg returns to NC Thursday with a new endorsement and rising polls (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- Amid a fast-changing primary landscape, Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg returns to N.C. with rising poll numbers and a new endorsement from a former governor. The former New York City mayor starts the day with an early morning event in Winston-Salem before moving on to Greensboro and Raleigh, where he’ll hold a 12:30 p.m. rally at Union Station.

Buttigieg ramping up N.C. campaign — and coming to Charlotte later in February (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- Fresh off his second-place finish in New Hampshire, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg is ramping up his N.C. campaign ahead of the state’s March 3 primary — and planning a visit to Charlotte. Buttigieg is scheduled to hold a Charlotte town hall on the afternoon of Feb. 27. It will be Buttigieg’s first appearance in Charlotte and second in N.C.

Johnson's campaign 'sounding board' edited text blast to parents, teachers (WRAL-TV reports) -- One day after using a state database to send 1.3 million messages, state schools superintendent stops answering questions.

Lt. Gov. Forest tells Rowan County gathering law enforcement is top priority (Salisbury Post reports) -- Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, a Republican candidate for governor, had a message for law enforcement at a Tuesday town hall: if public safety isn't taken care of, other things don't matter. Forest during the campaign event at the Rowan County Rescue Squad opened a conversation about the importance of working with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and having resource officers in every N.C. school.

It’s endorsement season in N.C. Here’s what’s changed - and hasn’t - with ours. (Durham Herald-Sun/McClatchy) -- The N. C.primary is a little different this year, and so are the editorial boards in Charlotte and Raleigh. Here’s how we’ll do endorsements.

Transgender voter sues N.C., Mecklenburg election officials for questioning identity (Charlotte Observer reports) -- A transgender woman sued N.C. and Mecklenburg County election officials, claiming she was denied equal protection under state law and endured emotional stress when a Cornelius elections official questioned her identity last November. The voter, identified as Jane Doe in the lawsuit, said a chief precinct judge demanded to see her identification, which state law doesn't currently require for voting. Doe says a lengthy debate ensued, drawing a crowd of onlookers, when she tried to vote from a curbside area for people with disabilities.

Judge throws out 'Silent Sam' deal (WRAL-TV reports) -- A judge threw out a $2.5 million deal to give the controversial "Silent Sam" monument to the Sons of Confederate Veterans, saying the group had no legal right to negotiate the deal with the UNC system.

Judge overturns UNC’s deal giving Silent Sam statue to a pro-Confederate group (Washington Post reports) -- A judge upended an agreement between UNC and a pro-Confederate group, reopening the polarizing question of what to do with the statue known as “Silent Sam.” It was the latest twist in a wrenching fight over the statue of a Civil War soldier that stood for more than a century at the heart of the UNC-Chapel Hill campus. The monument was pulled down in 2018 by people who saw it as an enduring symbol of racism.

VALERIE BAUERLEIN: Judge Voids University Deal That Transferred ‘Silent Sam’ Statue (Wall Street Journal reports) -- The fate of a Confederate statue that stood for a century on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus became uncertain, as a state court judge voided an agreement that transferred the monument to a Sons of Confederate Veterans group.

Judge overturns Silent Sam settlement between UNC and Confederate group (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- A judge voided the settlement that requires UNC Chapel Hill to pay $2.5 million and give the Silent Sam Confederate monument to the Sons of Confederate Veterans. The ruling came at a hearing held to determine whether the Sons of Confederate Veterans had the legal standing to bring the lawsuit against the UNC System over the statue in the first place. Orange County Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour, who approved the settlement in November, reversed himself and said the group didn’t have standing. Baddour, a UNC graduate, also dismissed the case. He did not explain his reasoning.

Judge voids deal giving UNC statue to Confederate group (AP reports) -- The fate of a Confederate statue torn down by protesters was thrown back into uncertainty when a judge overturned a settlement by the UNC's governing board that gave the monument to a Confederate heritage group along with money to preserve it.

Judge Tosses UNC's Settlement With Sons Of Confederate Veterans (WUNC-FM reports) -- Updated at 6:45 p.m. A judge has voided the UNC System’s $2.5 million settlement with the Sons of Confederate Veterans over the Silent Sam statue. District Court Judge Allen Baddour heard arguments this morning from attorneys for the UNC System, the Sons of Confederate Veterans, students and alumni.

N.C. judge scraps UNC’s controversial “Silent Sam” settlement (N.C. Policy Watch reports) -- An Orange County Superior Court Judge effectively scrapped the UNC System’s legal settlement with the NC Sons of Confederate Veterans Wednesday, saying the group had no legal standing to sue for ownership of the “Silent Sam” Confederate monument and $2.5 million for its care. Judge Allen Baddour initially signed off on the consent judgement in the case, but when the agreement was challenged by students, faculty and alumni he said he would take another look at the details of the case.

'A great victory for the people': Judge vacates $2.5 million Silent Sam settlement (The Daily Tarheel reports) -- Judge Allen Baddour ruled to dismiss the $2.5 million Silent Sam settlement between the UNC System Board of Governors and The N.C. Division Sons of Confederate Veterans Inc., which has drawn criticism since its announcement in November. Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz in a statement saying the ruling 'leaves many questions to be answered regarding the ownership and disposition of the monument.'

NC Senate leader Phil Berger made $80,000 selling his house to a lobbyist (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- State ethics officials knew ahead of time that a top Republican lawmaker was selling his Raleigh home to a lobbyist and signed off on it. But a government watchdog says it deserves a closer look.

Berger sells campaign-bought home in Raleigh to lobbyist (WRAL-TV reports) -- A Raleigh townhouse that is the focus of state ethics and campaign finance complaints has a new owner.

N.C. Senate leader complaint focuses on house sale, payments (AP reports) -- A retired campaign reform group leader filed an ethics complaint alleging that a powerful N.C. legislator improperly benefited financially from the sale and purchase of a townhouse in Raleigh.

McClatchy files for bankruptcy, hobbled by debt and declining print revenue (Washington Post reports) -- McClatchy Co., one of the nation’s largest newspaper publishers, filed for bankruptcy protection today, another harbinger of America’s deepening local news crisis. The Chapter 11 filing will allow the Sacramento-based company to keep its 30 newspapers afloat while it reorganizes more than $700 million in debt, 60 percent of which would be eliminated under the plan. If the court approves, it would also hand control of the 163-year-old family publisher to a hedge fund, Chatham Asset Management, its largest creditor.

McClatchy files bankruptcy to shed costs of print legacy and speed shift to digital (McClatchy D.C. reports) -- McClatchy Co. filed for bankruptcy, a move that will end family control of America’s second largest local news company and hand it to creditors who have expressed support for independent journalism. The Chapter 11 filing will allow McClatchy to restructure its debts and, it hopes, shed much of its pension obligations. Under a plan outlined in its filing to a federal bankruptcy court, about 60 percent of its debt would be eliminated as the news organization tries to reposition for a digital future. The likely new owners, if the court accepts the plan, would be led by hedge fund Chatham Asset Management LLC. They would operate McClatchy as a privately held company. More than 7 million shares of both publicly available and protected family-owned stock would be canceled.

Sales Tax (The Insider reports) -- Legislators are again discussing an overhaul of the complex formulas that determine how sales tax revenue is distributed among counties. The issue has been a perennial one in recent years as some lawmakers are concerned that the current formulas leave rural counties at a disadvantage because their residents often shop -- and generate tax revenue -- in bigger neighboring counties. The legislature's Revenue Laws Study Committee heard presentations about several options to change the formulas and provide a more even distribution among counties.

Butterfield, Murphy seeking recognition for historic leader (Greenville Daily Reflector reports) -- Pitt County's Democrat and Republican congressmen have launched a bipartisan effort to honor the last African American to serve in Congress during the Reconstruction Era. U.S. Reps. G.K. Butterfield and Greg Murphy joined with Rep. Alma S. Adams and David E. Price to introduce the George Henry White Commemorative Stamp Act.

MARY BE MCMILLAN: It’s time for a higher minimum wage in N.C.; activists to gather in Raleigh tonight (N.C. Policy Watch column) – N.C. workers need a raise. For 11 consecutive years, the cost of living (food, rent, education, childcare) has increased causing our minimum wage to decline in value by 24 percent. Now, a person working full-time while making $7.25 an hour lives thousands of dollars below the federal poverty threshold. A good job with fair wages is the right of all working people, and the time for change is long overdue.

36 NC students recruited for Gov. Cooper’s inaugural Entrepreneur Corps (TechWire/WRAL-TV reports) -- Gov. Roy Cooper’s Entrepreneurship Council (GEC) announced an overwhelming response to its call for participants in the just launched inaugural N.C. Entrepreneur Corps (NCEC). One hundred nine students from 27 universities and community colleges applied for the prestigious Corps for 36 slots.

MOSTLY TRUE: Did a judge 'order' N.C. to spend more on education? (PolitiFact/WRAL-TV reports) -- Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper tweeted that a court "ordered" N.C. to boost education spending. There's a little more to it.​​​​​​​

'Live the life you've imagined for yourself,' Koch tells dreamers after return to Earth (WRAL-TV reports) -- During her 328-day mission on the International Space Station, NCSU alumna and NASA astronaut Christina Koch said the endurance-focused phrase "It's a marathon, not a sprint" became "It's an ultra-marathon, not a marathon."

NC charter schools serve few poor kids. Now they’ll get $36 million to take more (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- The lure of federal grant money is helping to convince N.C. charter schools to increase their efforts to add low-income students to their rosters. The U.S. Department of Education has awarded N.C. $36.6 million to increase the number of “educationally disadvantaged students” attending charter schools. The program got off to a slow start last year, but this year a quarter of the state’s charter schools have said they’re interested in applying for a share of the grant money.

N.C. education pioneer Bobbye Draughon dies at 81 (WRAL-TV reports) -- A public servant passed away Jan. 31, leaving countless lives touched by her contributions to N.C.'s education.

UNC Delays​​​​​​​ (The Insider reports) -- If state lawmakers don't agree on a budget soon, the UNC system could have to close buildings, stretch its employees thin, and delay the openings of new buildings and a school. "You made a billion-dollar investment in these buildings and may not be able to operate them," said Katherine Lynn, UNC's senior associate vice president of finance and capital planning. Lynn spoke Wednesday to members of the Legislative Oversight Committee on Capital Improvements about the need for building fund reserves as construction ends on projects funded through the Connect NC bond.

Distribution center closing, Vidant exploring layoffs (Greenville Daily Reflector) -- Eastern N.C.'s largest health care provider Vidant Health announced it is exploring layoffs and other measures to make up for budget shortfalls, a day after a sporting goods distribution center issued a notice that it is closing and laying off 100 people.

Winston-Salem woman quarantined on cruise ship due to coronavirus threat (WRAL-TV reports) -- A Winston-Salem woman on board a cruise ship outside of Japan is now being quarantined due to the threat of the coronavirus.

Clinton City Schools employee to work in auxiliary offices after returning from China (WRAL-TV reports) -- A Clinton City Schools employee who recently visited China doesn't show symptoms of the coronavirus and won't have contact with students or parents until next week as a precaution

Clinton school employee who went to China shows no signs of coronavirus (WRAL-TV reports) -- A Clinton City Schools employee who recently visited China doesn't show symptoms of the coronavirus and won't have contact with students or parents until next week as a precaution.

With big long sandbags, NCDOT again tries to defend Ocracoke’s highway from the ocean (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- As contractors rebuilt N.C. 12 after Hurricane Dorian last fall, they also restored the narrow ridge of sand that stands between the highway and the Atlantic Ocean. But even before the road could reopen, another coastal storm washed away some of the dune. Now the N.C. Department of Transportation is rebuilding it — again.

Research Helps Survival of Released Fish (Coastal Review reports) -- Researchers at N.C. State’s Center for Marine Science and Technology have been studying caught and released fish to better estimate death rates and improve their odds for survival.

Want to see the whales? Humpback whale-watching tour opens (WRAL-TV reports) -- Humpback whales head for southern waters during February and March, allowing people in N.C. to see the rare sight. All it takes is a 3-hour drive to Virginia Beach. https://www.rudeetours.com/​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​