Opinion Roundup: Primary positioning; cruel unemployment system; an overdue apology; the virus; and more

Accused rapist was exonerated — but now he’s front and center in a GOP primary in NC​ (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- Attack ads are flying between two of the candidates in the three-way Republican primary for attorney general. Voters will decide Tuesday who they want to take on Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein in the November general election. Early voting is underway. Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill’s campaign took the rare step of replacing one ad with a new version. His opponent, Chris Mumma — the target of the ad — had threatened legal action against a TV station if it kept running.​

NC primary already has been a draw for candidates. Now it will be the voters’ turn. (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- N.C. voters on Tuesday will get their turn to weigh in on a primary that could help catapult one candidate to the Democratic presidential nomination, end the aspirations of others and test the appeal of two free-spending billionaires. The state’s March 3 primary is one of 16 Super Tuesday contests. It will come three days after a S.C. primary that by itself could reshape the still-crowded Democratic field. For N.C., the primary is the earliest ever. Designed to make the state more relevant in the presidential selection process, it has resulted in multiple candidates visits and a barrage of TV advertising.​

MOSTLY TRUE: Did Tillis vote to 'take away' coverage for pre-existing conditions? (PolitiFact/WRAL-TV) -- Incumbent U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC. faces a challenge from several Democrats. One of them, Cal Cunningham, is accusing Tillis of voting to "take away" coverage for people with pre-existing conditions.

Tillis under fire by fellow Republicans in NC Senate primary (Fayetteville Observer reports) -- Republican candidates challenging incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis in the March 3 primary argue that he has not done enough to represent the conservative base and support President Donald Trump. Larry Holmquist of Greensboro, one of three Republicans challenging Tillis, said he is “disgusted by Thom Tillis’ flip-flopping and inconsistency on issues that are critical to conservatives.” The winner of the primary will go on to the Nov. 3 general election.

VALERIE BAUERLEIN: Some Southern Democrats Say Sanders Nomination Would Hurt Down-Ballot Candidates (Wall Street Journal reports) -- In their view, a Sanders-led ticket could reverse gains in state legislatures and turn what might be tight congressional races into GOP landslides.

Hugh McColl, prominent N.C. banker, explains why he backs Bloomberg (NPR reports) -- NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Hugh McColl, ex-Bank of America CEO, about why he favors Mike Bloomberg for president, and where his vote will go if Bernie Sanders clinches the Democratic nomination.

Klobuchar's Triangle campaign swing includes Fox News town hall (WRAL-TV reports) -- U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar was met by an enthusiastic crowd in Raleigh on Thursday as she spoke about her candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Klobuchar counts on ‘grit’ to carry her through Super Tuesday (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- Sen. Amy Klobuchar appealed to Raleigh voters Thursday afternoon.

Bernie Sanders at WSSU: ‘We are going to defeat Trump.’ (Winston-Salem Journal reports) -- For a few hours Thursday morning, Winston-Salem State University got to be the focal point of the Democratic presidential candidate race as Sen. Bernie Sanders, the current front runner, held a rally as part of his run-up to Super Tuesday.

TYLER DUKES: How you can track the money funding political ads on NC airwaves (WRAL-TV reports) -- Months away from the general election, North Carolinians have already seen millions of dollars worth of political advertising on their televisions in 2020. Now you can find out who's behind those ads.

Where the Democratic primary candidates stand on health care before NC primary​ (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- Health care is one of the most important issues to North Carolina voters, according to a poll. Candidates for the Democratic primary have been touring the country in the lead up to Super Tuesday, when voters in N.C. and 13 other states will cast ballots with a third of all statewide delegates up for grabs.​

Racism, libel and leaks. How these allegations turned a local judicial race ugly. (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- A down-ballot primary race to fill a local judge’s seat generally is the last place to find election-year drama. But Aretha Blake’s bid to return to the Mecklenburg County District Court has been roiled by attacks on her competence, claims of racism, and an increasingly bitter legal fight over media coverage that threatens to overshadow her showdown Tuesday with Charlotte attorney and fellow Democrat Lynna Moen.​

Journey Across the 100: Voters across the state weigh in on NC's economy (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- Photojournalists from McClatchy traveled to all 100 N.C. counties talking to voters in advance of the 2020 elections. Here some of those voters thoughts on the state's economy.

The Lost 110 Words of Our Constitution (Politico reports) -- These forgotten words from Section 2 of the 14th Amendment, which was designed to guard against the infringement of voting rights. The lost provision is simple: States that deny their citizens the right to vote will have reduced representation in the House of Representatives.

RUSTY JACOBS: Two-Way GOP Gubernatorial Primary Will Decide Who Gets To Face Cooper (WUNC-FM reports) -- Gov. Roy Cooper is running for re-election this year and, with more than $8 million raised and a little known challenger who has raised just over $1,500, he is highly likely to win his Democratic primary. The more significant contest is on the GOP side, between Lt. Gov. Dan Forest or State Rep. Holly Grange.

Meet the candidates vying for N.C.s ‘most important job that no one has ever heard of’ (Charlotte Agenda reports) -- Sure, the state treasury's race isn't the most sexy race in 2020, but it's important. The winner will manage $100 billion in state employee retiree funds, plus work with counties to administer bonds for affordable housing and more.

TRAVIS FAIN: Howdy! Emperor, protector of Mexico pokes fun in NC House campaign filings (WRAL-TV reports) -- Who says you can't make an obscure joke in a routine campaign finance filing and wait two months for the wrong person to find it? Not Sean Haugh, that's for sure.

Campaign Loans (N.C. Insider reports) -- In low-profile Council of State primaries with a crowded field, some candidates are plowing hundreds of thousands of dollars from their personal bank accounts to run TV ads and raise their name recognition. Some of the latest self-funding has come in the final month or so of the campaign. The biggest self-funder so far is Sen. Andy Wells, R-Catawba, who dropped $500,000 of his own money into his bid for lieutenant governor.

The people want larger teacher raises and Medicaid expansion. Give it to them. (Greensboro News & Record) -- The Republicans who run North Carolina’s legislature are thwarting more than just Gov. Roy Cooper and his fellow Democrats as they continue to dig in their heels and refuse to pass a budget that includes Medicaid expansion and competitive pay for public school teachers. They are also going against the wishes of the most of state’s people, many Republicans as well as Democrats. Through the summer and fall, and now in a new poll from WRAL News in Raleigh, a majority of North Carolinians have repeatedly supported Cooper’s positions on these issues.

BILLY BALL: The cruelty of NC's broken unemployment insurance program (N.C. Policy Watch analysis) -- The most stirring moment of this week’s rehash of NC’s unemployment system was, alas, its last. Sen. Wiley Nickel, the lone Democrat on the joint committee, urged lawmakers to revisit their 2013 cuts to the unemployment program, which today ranks NC among the stingiest in the nation. In those heady days, when conservatives didn’t have to worry about a veto from the governor, legislators reduced the size and duration of unemployment checks ostensibly to assuage a $2.7 billion debt to the federal government.

Here’s what new report has to say about N.C.’s broadband expansion efforts (TechWire/WRAL-TV reports) -- A new report from The Pew Charitable Trusts examines in detail North Carolina’s efforts to expand broadband access across the state. Here’s what the report has to say.

Elaborate unconventional warfare exercise set for undisclosed sites in N.C. (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- Fort Bragg is warning the public that suspicious looking military activity could erupt on private land across multiple N.C. counties next month as part of a cryptic Special Forces training exercise. This could include hearing explosions and seeing soldiers acting as ”guerrilla freedom fighters,” according to a release from the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg. Exact times, locations and exercise specifics are not being publicized, officials said in the release.​

An unsung aide equal parts air traffic controller and caddie exits the Senate (Washington Post reports) -- On Thursday, UNC graduate Laura Dove completed her last “loop” as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s top caddie, ending a 6½ -year run as the most indispensable aide on the GOP side of the aisle. At 17, she went to work in the Republican cloakroom, the sort of grunt work that wasn’t much higher profile than being a page. After graduating from the University of North Carolina, Dove returned to the GOP cloakroom and then several jobs across the street in the Senate office buildings.

An important apology (Winston-Salem Journal) -- It was a bold statement, one that acknowledged past misdeeds and asked for forgiveness. It couldn’t have been easy. But it was a necessary step. We appreciate President Nathan Hatch’s recent apology on behalf on Wake Forest University for its historic role in perpetuating slavery. We hope it will be beneficial to the university’s students, faculty, staff and alumni, and help to bring about a sense of healing and unity.

Monroe Charter School's Struggle Illustrates Statewide Challenge (WFAE-FM reports) -- Now’s the time of year when thousands of families are being turned away in charter school admission lotteries. So you might think new charter schools could sail to success. But one charter school veteran learned that’s not necessarily so.

FERREL GUILLORY: A state strong enough to meet ‘greater challenges than ever’ ​​​​​​​(EdNC column) -- Evidence and analyses have piled up to bolster the case for a surge of initiatives to enhance N.C. public schools. The ensuing weeks and months will pose a test of how the state’s democracy — its governance and its politics — will respond to the challenge.

JOE KILLIAN: Conflict at ECU continues as yet another trustee complaint remains unresolved (N.C. Policy Watch reports) -- As part of a storm of complaints and cross-complaints on East Carolina University’s sharply divided Board of Trustees, former trustee Robert Moore filed a complaint against trustee Max Joyner. The complaint involves allegations Joyner used his position as a trustee and information he gained on the board as part of a real estate deal near campus. Moore has also alleged Joyner tried to recruit his own student government presidential candidate at the school.

Mister A&T: University names its business school for alum Willie Deese​​​​​​​ (Greensboro News & Record) -- The newly named Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics recognizes an A&T graduate who has given his time, talent and about $10 million to the university.

ROSE HOBAN: Is NC ready for Coronavirus? What health officials have learned from past outbreaks (N.C. Health News reports) -- Seventeen years ago, N.C. officials had a SARS case on their hands. What they learned then changed the way they approach infectious diseases.

How do you prepare for coronavirus? (WRAL-TV reports) -- State and federal health officials are urging Americans to prepare for a possible widespread coronavirus outbreak. But how do people prepare?

Local schools, universities unveil plans to keep students safe from coronavirus​​​​​​​ (WRAL-TV reports) -- Wake County Public Schools are expected to release their plans for combating coronavirus spread, should it reach North Carolina. Likewise, UNC and Duke both have students abroad during this coronavirus outbreak. They are making preparations for those students.

15 more people died from the flu last week (WRAL-TV reports) -- Fifteen more people died of the flu in North Carolina last week, bringing the total number of deaths this season to 115.

Gathering of great white sharks moves to S.C. They’re feasting, experts say​ (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- That notorious gathering of satellite-tagged great white sharks off the Carolinas has shifted. Data from the nonprofit OCEARCH shows they’re still enjoying each other’s company, but now their predatory union is off S.C. — between Myrtle Beach and Charleston. Seven great white sharks are now “pinging” in that region, while two stragglers remain off N.C.’s Crystal Coast.​​​​​​​