Opinion Roundup: UNC-CH faculty and students want revoked 'Silent Sam' money; fact checking the latest Democratic debate; no vaping in Buncombe; and more.

Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020 -- A round up of opinion, commentary and analysis on: N.C.'s moderate voters could mean trouble for Trump; Jewish temple vandalized; Klobuchar makes first N.C. visit; Buncombe votes no on vaping; and more.

WRAL News poll: Trump could see N.C. trouble in presidential race (WRAL-TV reports) -- If President Donald Trump wants to carry N.C. in November in his re-election bid, he needs to hold his own among the state's moderate voters, according to a new WRAL News poll.

Current and former Raleigh mayors make endorsements in U.S. presidential race (Durham Herald-Sun / N.C. McClatchy reports) -- Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin and former mayors Nancy McFarlane and Charles Meeker are the latest leaders to back Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg. All three joined Bloomberg at last week’s rally at Raleigh Union Station, and the trio join a growing list of 100 mayors who have backed Bloomberg, including Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles and Kinston Mayor Don Hardy.

Amy Klobuchar will make her first campaign visit (Durham Herald-Sun / N.C. McClatchy reports) -- With days until Super Tuesday, which includes N.C.’s primary, Democratic presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar will make her first campaign stop in the state next week. Fox News Channel announced Wednesday it will hold a town hall with Klobuchar on Feb. 27 in Raleigh.

Bloomberg returning to Charlotte for N.C. Democratic fundraising event (Durham Herald-Sun / N.C. McClatchy reports) -- Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg will return to Charlotte Feb. 29 — the day of the South Carolina primary and three days before N.C. votes on Super Tuesday. Bloomberg will appear at a state party fundraiser called Blue NC. He’ll join national Democratic Party Chairman Tom Perez as well as Gov. Roy Cooper, Chief Justice Cheri Beasley, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, and state party Chairman Wayne Goodwin.

Endorsement: Democrats’ best option to beat Dan Bishop in N.C.’s 9th District (Charlotte Observer / N.C. McClatchy) – N.C.’s 9th Congressional District primary — and the general election that follows — will look a lot different than the district’s special election less than six months ago. Gone is the national spotlight, and gone is a lot of the outside money that came with it. Like other N.C. congressional districts, the 9th also was redrawn last year under court order. It’s slightly more favorable to Democrats now. The Republican in that special election, Dan Bishop, is now the incumbent. One candidate, Charlotte Financial Services executive Cynthia Wallace, stands out in the field. We recommend her in the Democratic primary.

Endorsement: Our choice for NC’s 2nd Congressional District (Durham Herald-Sun/ N.C. McClatchy) – N.C. state lawmakers haven’t done much for Wake County, but when they redrew the congressional district maps, they did give it a clearer voice in Congress. In the Democratic field, there are two experienced and capable candidates: Deborah Ross and Monika Johnson-Hostler. Wake County could be proud to send either to Washington, D.C., but our recommendation is the candidate with the strongest credentials and an impressive record of legislative accomplishment — Deborah Ross.

Bloomberg on the defensive, fact-checking the Las Vegas Democratic debate (PolitiFact/WRAL-TV) -- After saying he wouldn't run and then changing his mind, after altogether skipping Iowa and New Hampshire, after spending $250 million of his fortune on television and radio ads, Mike Bloomberg stood at the end of a debate stage in Las Vegas days before Democrats vote there and got battered by his five opponents.

Fact check: Sanders says Bloomberg didn't support raising the minimum wage (PolitiFact/WRAL-TV) -- U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders welcomed Democratic rival Mike Bloomberg into the thick of the presidential primary with a slew of attacks on the former New York City mayor's record.

UNC-CH students, faculty want money from 'Silent Sam' side deal returned (WRAL-TV reports) -- Days after a judge voided a $2.5 million deal to give the controversial "Silent Sam" monument to the Sons of Confederate Veterans, attorneys representing UNC-CH students and faculty are demanding that money given to the SCV in a separate deal be returned to the school.

GUILLERMO MOLERO: 'What an incredible injustice': UNC criticized for handling of racist past (The Daily Tarheel reports) -- Members of the community gathered at the Chapel Hill Public Library for “Conversations on Equity,” a speaker series sponsored by local groups that delves into issues of equity and race relations in the community. The subject of the lecture quickly turned to the complicated history of race relations at UNC, and how the University has failed in confronting its troubled past.

‘It’s Okay To Be White’ stickers put on Jewish temple. N.C. cops are looking for vandal (Durham Herald-Sun / N.C. McClatchy reports) -- A man clad in dark clothing plastered stickers with the phrase “It’s Okay To Be White” on a Jewish temple in N.C. twice in three days, according to police and the temple’s leadership. Now they’re asking for help identifying him. The man doesn’t appear to be connected to anyone at Temple B’nai Sholem in New Bern, Temple President Carla Byrnes said after the police department posted a flier on Facebook seeking the public’s assistance.

Johnston County man in country illegally fighting deportation by ICE back to Guatemala (WRAL-TV reports) -- A Johnston County church reached out to WRAL because one of its parishioners is facing deportation.

Hunter hopeful state budget deal will be reached in April (Elizabeth City Daily Advance reports) -- State Rep. Howard Hunter, D-Hertford, told a room full of law enforcement officials in Elizabeth City on Wednesday that he is hopeful that the state budget impasse will come to an end when the General Assembly reconvenes in late April.

Court affirms alleged Islamic State recruiter's conviction (AP reports) -- A federal appeals court in Ohio has affirmed the convictions of a N.C. man who was accused of trying to recruit people to conduct terrorist attacks in the name of the Islamic State group.

‘We’ll put money in the bank.’ Recordings detail evidence as N.C. bribery trial opens (Charlotte Observer reports) -- Was Greg Lindberg offering to pay N.C.'s insurance commissioner a $2 million bribe? Or was the billionaire insurance magnate a victim of entrapment by the commissioner? As Lindberg's federal trial got underway Wednesday, it became clear that jurors in the case will need to sort through those questions. Lindberg and associates John Gray and John Palermo, along with then-GOP Chairman Robin Hayes, were indicted last spring on charges that they attempted to funnel bribe money to the reelection campaign of state Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey.

TRAVIS FAIN: Jury hears secret FBI recordings at N.C. political donor's bribery trial (WRAL-TV reports) -- Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey, who worked with the FBI, takes the stand during the trial's second day.

PCI inmate dies in apparent suicide (Elizabeth City Daily Advance reports) -- An inmate serving a nine-year sentence for armed robbery has died in an apparent suicide at Pasquotank Correctional Institution, state prison officials said Wednesday. William J. Warren, 31, was found unresponsive in his cell Tuesday at 11:20 p.m. by prison staff who worked to resuscitate him, an N.C. Department of Public Safety press release states.

ANNE BLYTHE: Duke, despite tobacco industry ties, says no to smoking on campus. Even e-cigs. (N.C. Health News reports) -- Vaping will be part of a new smoke-free policy on the Durham campus this summer.

Buncombe bans vaping, e-cigs on county property (Asheville Citizen-Times reports) -- Vaping is now prohibited on Buncombe property following a vote by commissioners to amend the county's tobacco ordinance.

Stokes County Residents Push For Changes To Belews Ash Basin Closure (WFDD-FM reports) -- Dozens of community members packed into Walnut Cove Elementary in Stokes County to hear more about closure plans for Duke Energy's Belews Creek coal ash basin. The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality conducted the public meeting to gather input from local residents. It's one of several taking place across the state this month as the agency reviews the company's excavation proposals.

Actor turns spotlight on contaminated water (WRAL-TV reports) -- Actor Mark Ruffalo was in Raleigh to promote a new film while also raising awareness about chemicals and drinking water.

SHERRY CHISENHALL: From the editor: How owner’s bankruptcy filing will, and won’t, affect The Observer (Charlotte Observer column) -- By now many of you have read or heard that The Observer’s parent company, McClatchy, moved last week to restructure under Chapter 11 of the U.S. bankruptcy code. It’s important that our readers understand that this filing has no immediate impact for our staff, our readers and our subscribers, as well as our company’s relationships with sponsors and advertisers. Our staff will continue delivering daily news on multiple digital platforms and in print without interruption. To be sure, there’s much at stake as McClatchy, like some 20 news companies before it, seeks bankruptcy protection to relieve enormous financial pressures from debt and pension liabilities. The crisis in local journalism is real and is unrelenting, driven by a business model in upheaval as reader and advertiser habits have shifted dramatically.

97-year-old WWII veteran visits junior Marines at RDU on 75th anniversary of Iwo Jima97-year-old WWII veteran visits junior Marines at RDU on 75th anniversary of Iwo Jima (WRAL-TV reports) -- The USO of N.C. at Raleigh-Durham International Airport hosted a 97-year-old U.S. Marine and WWII veteran as he met with junior Marines in a tradition of passing down knowledge.