Opinion Roundup: UNC's new leader? mask wearing; Tata's troubles; guns in church services; and more

Friday, June 19, 2020 -- A round up of opinion, commentary and analysis on: COVID data collecting; mask wearing; school and transportation bond move; guns in church services; Tata's troubled nomination; Confederate symbols addressed; school aid issues; Hans to lead UNC; and more.

Legislature's antibody study shows more people infected with coronavirus in NC than numbers show (WRAL-TV reports) -- A GOP state legislatively-funded study at Wake Forest Baptist Health shows nearly 10 percent of people tested have antibodies to the coronavirus.

HANNAH CRITCHFIELD: N.C. lacks critical racial data for a third of its COVID-19 cases. Here’s why. (N.C. Health News reports) -- Until recently, exactly what data they collected was somewhat ad hoc -- a contact tracer might ask for someone’s name and birthday but neglect to ask about gender or race.

All NC prison inmates being tested for coronavirus (WRAL-TV reports) -- The state prison system has started testing all inmates in North Carolina prisons for coronavirus, Commissioner of Prisons Todd Ishee said.

NC kept moving hundreds of inmates during pandemic. Experts say that increased risks (WRAL-TV reports) -- State records show North Carolina officials continued to transfer thousands of inmates as COVID-19 raced through the state's prisons -- actions that public health experts say raised the risk of spreading the virus.

N.C. Bar and Tavern Association asks judge to open up private bars still shut down due to pandemic (WRAL-TV reports) -- The N.C. Business Court will hear a request from the N.C. Bar and Tavern Association for Gov. Roy Cooper to give private bars the same treatment that has been given to private club bars, winery bars, brewery bars, distillery bars and restaurant bars during the coronavirus pandemic.

Governor urges all to wear masks to slow COVID-19, stops short of order (Fayetteville Observer reports) -- As North Carolina’s COVID-19 hospitalizations reached a high of 857 on Thursday, Gov. Roy Cooper and his staff strongly urged the public to wear masks to curb the spread of the disease. At an afternoon news conference, Cooper also discussed the possibility that he would make masks mandatory in the near future, but he stopped short of saying he would. “The mandatory nature of it is being considered and studied,” Cooper said, adding he would have more information next week when the administration issues more comprehensive policy on the next steps the state will take to handle the ongoing pandemic. Some North Carolina communities already require people to wear masks because of COVID-19.

Will NC make face coverings mandatory? Officials are strongly considering it. (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- N.C.'s current reopening phase is due to expire in eight days, and Gov. Roy Cooper and DHHS secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen on Thursday said getting more residents wearing face coverings is of utmost importance to slow the coronavirus spread. “We need more people to wear masks, and we need to figure out the best way to do that.” Cooper said during a press briefing. To that end, a statewide order requiring the wearing face coverings could be announced next week.

New academic research: Masks can dramatically decrease COVID-19 deaths (N.C. Policy Watch) -- A recent study from researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University suggests that mask-wearing policies can dramatically reduce per-capita death rates from COVID-19, based on an analysis of nearly 200 different countries.

It’s time to require masks in N.C. Here’s how. (N.C. McClatchy editorial) -- Make no mistake, masks are uncomfortable in every sort of way. They’re uncomfortable to wear. They prompt disagreement and confrontation. And certainly, it’s not easy for public officials to require them. But N.C. leaders, including the governor, have long stressed that North Carolina needs to work together to slow the spread of COVID-19. That also means sharing the discomfort of doing what’s necessary. If masks are a real solution, they need a real commitment.

Raleigh mask requirement starts Friday: here are the rules, exceptions to the new mandate (WRAL-TV reports) -- The latest requirement for people to wear masks in public during the coronavirus pandemic takes effect at 4 p.m. Friday in Raleigh and 5 p.m. Sunday in Knightdale.

Estimates show uneven stress on hospitals across the state from COVID-19 (WRAL-TV reports) -- A group of public health experts say that although North Carolina hospitals are likely a long way off from running out of beds, a recent rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations has had an uneven impact across the state.

Triangle contact tracers meeting the needs of diverse speaking communities (WRAL-TV reports) -- The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services is actively hiring and training contact tracers to place in counties across the state. In the Triangle, health departments are trying to meet the need of diverse speaking communities.

Bolivia Facility Reports COVID-19 Outbreak (Coastal Review reports) -- A congregate living facility in Brunswick County has met the state’s standard for an outbreak of COVID-19 with 17 residents and seven employees having tested positive.

The first child to die of COVID-19 in NC illustrates spread through Latino communities (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- The eight-year-old girl from Durham died four days after being diagnosed with the coronavirus. Now, her family members say they want to share their story to keep others safe.

N.C. House revises, OKs education, road bond referendum (AP reports) -- The House agreed overwhelmingly on Thursday to let voters decide whether the state should borrow $3.1 billion for public school, higher education and road construction.

3.1B bond package for schools and roads gets initial OK in House (WRAL-TV reports) -- The House gave preliminary approval Thursday to putting a $3.1 billion bond referendum before voters this November.

Guns in church services in public schools (The Insider reports) -- A bill about vehicle registrations has morphed into a long-stalled proposal to allow concealed handguns during church services at public schools. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a new version of House Bill 652 with the title “Freedom to Worship Safely.” It would allow people who have a concealed carry permit to bring a gun to church services when they’re held on school property. The bill wouldn’t apply to public school buildings, universities or colleges. Similar legislation passed the House Judiciary Committee in April 2019 but stalled in the Rules Committee. No one objected to the bill during Thursday’s committee meeting.

Bill to reopen N.C. bowling alleys, rinks head to Cooper (AP reports) -- Legislators sent another bill on Thursday to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper designed to overturn parts of his executive order for COVID-19 that's kept several types of retail businesses shuttered for months.

Skating rinks, bowling alleys bill heads to governor (WRAL-TV reports) -- Measure would let skating rinks and bowling alleys open despite governor's closure orders.

No COVID-19 lawsuits for pools under new NC bill (WRAL-TV reports) -- The measure is one of two lawsuit immunity bills moving through the General Assembly.

Bill would let wedding venues, amusement parks reopen despite pandemic orders (WRAL-TV reports) -- Entertainment venues, and the people who depend on them, worry they'll lose their businesses if restrictions don't lift.

Republicans gone? Democrats could host a convention event in Charlotte (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- Charlotte, which lost most of the Republican National Convention last week, could get part of the Democratic convention, CNN reported Thursday. Charlotte is among a handful of cities being considered for “smaller gatherings” associated with the convention. Like Charlotte, the other cities it named — Detroit, Philadelphia and Phoenix — are all in battleground states. The events “could be livestreamed online or directly into the main event in Milwaukee or both.”

FALSE: Pence says Oklahoma 'flattened' the COVID-19 curve (PolitiFact/WRAL-TV) -- President Donald Trump is receiving criticism for his decision to restart in-person, indoor rallies with an event in Tulsa on June 20. During a White House roundtable on June 15, Vice President Mike Pence defended Trump's decision by praising Oklahoma's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Tillis Ad Features Restaurant Owner Accused Of Allowing 'Racially Hostile Work Environment' (WFAE-FM reports) -- A new TV and digital ad campaign for U.S. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis features one of the owners of Lancaster’s BBQ & Wings in Mooresville, which was sued by the federal government in 2018 over accusations that it “subjected a black employee to a racially hostile work environment.”

Man in Tillis campaign ad owns a restaurant at center of a racial bias suit (Charlotte Observer reports) -- A man featured in a campaign TV ad for Republican Sen. Thom Tillis owns a restaurant at the center of a federal lawsuit over racial bias. The ad features Tillis walking through a restaurant kitchen talking about how he started his career as a short order cook and then sitting at a table in Jeffrey’s Restaurant in Mooresville with owner Jeff Lancaster. Lancaster also owns Lancaster’s BBQ in Mooresville. Lancaster is expected to be in federal court in Statesville next month for a trial that could determine whether his barbecue restaurant is liable in a racial discrimination case brought by a former employee.

Generals Pull Support for Pentagon Nominee N.C.'s Tata Over Offensive Tweets (Wall Street Journal reports) -- At least three prominent retired general officers have dropped their support for President Trump’s nominee for the Pentagon’s top policy job, retired Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata, over inflammatory tweets he made two years ago on Islam, President Obama and Democratic lawmakers.

Retired generals pull support for former Wake schools, NCDOT chief Tata for Defense job after offensive tweets uncovered (CNN reports) -- At least two retired Army generals have pulled their support for President Donald Trump's nominee to oversee the Pentagon's policy shop after reports that he has a history of making Islamophobic and inflammatory remarks against prominent Democratic politicians, including falsely calling former President Barack Obama a Muslim. Gen. Joseph Votel and Gen. Tony Thomas had both signed a letter of support for retired Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata, a frequent guest on Fox News and ardent defender of the President, to become the third highest official at the Pentagon before news of his controversial comments surfaced, according to a draft copy. Now, both generals say they can no longer back Tata for the job.

Group calls for police reform in Alamance area (Burlington Times-News reports) -- Calls for law-enforcement reform have come to Alamance County, and some of those ideas could be well received by some authorities

WILLIAM BARBER, LIZ THEOHARIS, TIM TYSON & CORNEL WEST: What the Courage to Change History Looks Like (New York Times column) -- We can’t tinker around the edges. We need to dismantle systems.

‘It’s truly being able to live.’ Relief, but uncertainty, for DACA recipients in NC (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- In 2017, President Donald Trump announced his administration would be ending DACA protections, prompting several lawsuits questioning the legality of such a decision. NC Attorney General Josh Stein was among a number of state attorneys general to join in a lawsuit against the administration. The Supreme Court agreed to review the case last year, and on Thursday ruled in a 5-4 decision against the administration, with Chief Justice John Roberts writing it had failed to “provide a reasoned explanation for its action.” “The Dreamers were brought here as kids and want to help us make the United States a better place. Now they can do so without the fear of deportation,” Stein said about the decision in an emailed statement. “I am proud to have been part of the team that defended their right to stay in the United States legally.”

The Confederate Flag Didn’t Bother Bubba Wallace. Until It Did. (New York Times reports) -- The only black driver in NASCAR’s top tier, he has emerged as an impassioned activist who got the flag banned at races in the largely white sport after years of putting up with it.

JASON GAY: Nascar Is Changing. It Can Thank Bubba Wallace. (Wall Street Journal reports) --Bubba Wallace called on Nascar to get rid of Confederate flags at races. That’s exactly what happened next.

Lawyers: NC has constitutional duty to remove Confederate monuments (WRAL-TV reports) -- Dozens of prominent N.C. attorneys write the governor and other state leaders to say Confederate monuments on Capitol Square must be moved.

Salisbury approves measure to move Confederate monument (AP reports) -- The city of Salisbury has approved a measure that would remove an 111-year-old Confederate monument there.

Lawsuit: Detainee’s death ‘terrifying, preventable and totally unnecessary’ (Carolina Public Press reports) -- Josh Long collapsed and died in July 2018 after being detained for hours at Cherokee County jail. Federal lawsuit says key records are blank or missing

Education Dept. Is Making It Harder For Colleges To Boost Student Aid During Crisis (NPR reports) -- The U.S. Department of Education is making it harder for colleges to reconsider — and potentially increase — financial aid for students who have lost jobs or family income in the current economic crisis. The department has shelved guidance that once encouraged colleges to do more to help students affected by a downturn. The guidance, a pair of letters published by the Obama administration in April and May of 2009, was written in response to the Great Recession. It allowed colleges to fast-track reconsideration of financial aid for students who had lost jobs, and encouraged unemployed Americans to consider enrolling in postsecondary education and applying for aid. "I think financial aid offices are out there doing their best," says Rachelle Feldman, associate provost of scholarships and student aid at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "But the fear of audit, the change in guidance — it's all very real and paralyzing."

Hans to become next UNC system president (AP reports) -- North Carolina's community college system president will become the next head of the University of North Carolina's 17-campus system, a UNC governing board member said on Thursday.

State's community college head expected to get UNC system presidency (WRAL-TV reports) -- Peter Hans, a former UNC Board of Governors chairman, is expected to succeed Interim President Dr. Bill Roper.

HBCUs cancel homecoming, some college football games (WRAL-TV reports) -- Two neutral-site games -- Southern University versus Tennessee State in Detroit on Sept. 5 and Jackson State versus Tennessee State a week later in Memphis -- have been canceled, along with Southern's home game Sept. 12 against Florida A&M.

DAVID COOPER: WestEd’s Leandro report: The Missing Pages (EdNC column) -- How is it even possible to describe the current situation in North Carolina’s public schools and propose remedies for the problems identified without considering the racial resegregation of the schools? It is a well-documented resegregation. It follows a brief period of desegregation that itself followed two centuries of legally segregated schools.

Lunch shaming finally off the menu for Wilson County Schools (Wilson Times reports) -- THUMBS UP to the Wilson County Board of Education for ending the misguided practice of “lunch shaming” in our school cafeterias.

ROSE HOBAN: COVID makes complicated foster care system even more-so (N.C. Health News reports) -- The state’s foster care system has staggered under the weight of thousands of children needing care as a result of the opioid epidemic. Now COVID has complicated the lives of everyone in the system.

Tar River in Rocky Mount reaches 3rd highest level on record (WRAL-TV reports) -- By Thursday at 1 p.m., the Tar River at N.C. 97 in Rocky Mount was at 27.24 feet, more than 6 feet above flood stage. It was expected to remain above flood stage into Saturday afternoon.

Preservation Is Purpose At Kitty Hawk Woods (Coastal Review reports) -- The largest of the three N.C. Coastal Reserve sites on the Outer Banks, Kitty Hawk Woods has foot and kayak trails, but the main focus here is and always has been protecting the natural environment.

NC regulators: Chemours illegally dumped potentially contaminated soil (Wilmington Star-News reports) -- State regulators say the Chemours Co. plant near Fayetteville this month illegally dumped several dozen truckloads of soil, tree stumps and root mats that could be contaminated with the GenX chemical into an unlined landfill in Cumberland County. Contaminated materials must not be deposited in unlined landfills, says a letter the Department of Environmental Quality sent to Chemours on Thursday. The company should have tested the materials first as the Chemours property has a “well-documented and pervasive PFAS contamination,” the letter says. The company could be fined up to $15,000 per day for each violation, the letter says.