Opinion Roundup: Michaux for McKissick; Facebook fact check; median bees; and more

Monday, Jan. 13, 2020 -- A round up of opinion, commentary and analysis on: Michaux for McKissick; education resignation; Facebook fiction; median bees; boom or stride; and more

Absentee by-mail voting kicks off March primary election (N.C. Policy Watch reports) --The State Board of Elections will begin mailing out absentee by-mail ballots today to voters who request them for the March primary election. Any voter is eligible to vote absentee by mail. Primary Election Day is March 3 and the absentee by-mail ballots are due to the voter’s county board of elections by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25. Voters will select the political party nominees to appear on the Nov. 3 General Election ballot.

Democratic Presidential Candidate Tom Steyer Visits NC (WUNC-FM reports) -- Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer is preparing for this week’s debate after a weekend of campaigning in N.C.

Visiting NC, candidate Tom Steyer says housing conditions reveal ‘cruelty’ to the poor (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- Conditions at McDougald Terrace in Durham are an example of systematic "cruelty" that has to be addressed by the U.S. government and its leaders, Democratic presidential hopeful Tom Steyer said. Steyer, a billionaire turned champion of Democratic causes, visited the Triangle, including the public housing complex where residents have evacuated after carbon monoxide concerns. He also visited NC Central University School of Law and the Women's Center of Wake County, and held a public Q&A in Raleigh. He finished his tour in Goldsboro, participating in a forum about poverty after listening to a sermon from the Rev. William Barber II, pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church, former state NAACP president and leader of the Poor People's Campaign.

Can cash buy the Dem nomination? Two billionaires are trying (AP reports) --Billionaires Michael Bloomberg and Tom Steyer are testing an unproven theory in the contest for the Democratic presidential nomination: that their vast personal wealth can buy the trophy.

Democrats nominate former state Rep. Michaux to finish Sen. McKissick's term (WRAL-TV reports) -- Local Democrats have chosen former state Rep. Mickey Michaux to finish state Sen. Floyd McKissick's term in Durham.

RICHARD CRAVER: Spotlights heats up on N.C. GOP as another red state reaches Medicaid expansion compromise (Winston-Salem Journal reports) -- N.C., particularly its unyielding Senate Republican leadership, is in the national spotlight on Medicaid expansion as the legislature resumes its 2019 session. A first-term Democratic governor and the Republican senate majority leader in Kansas agreed on a compromise last week that would allow it to become the 38th state — and 15th red — to expand its Medicaid program.

COLIN CAMPBELL & DANIELLE BATTAGLIA: Budget Vote (N.C. Insider reports) -- With a potential Senate budget veto override looming on Tuesday, none of the four Democrats who initially voted for the budget in June are planning to support an override. That means Republicans likely won't get the one vote they need to pass the budget over Gov. Roy Cooper's objections if all senators are present. One of the four "yes" votes in June -- Sen. Floyd McKissick, D-Durham -- has resigned to take another government position, and the other three told the Insider last week that they expect to stand with the governor. "I'll vote to sustain the governor's veto," said Sen. Ben Clark, D-Hoke.

SARAH OVASKA: Medicaid questions hang over this week’s NCGA “mini-session” (N.C. Health News reports) -- The big policy question for this week, and perhaps for all of 2020, is whether the N.C. General Assembly will do anything about Medicaid. This Tuesday they’re coming back to Raleigh for what had been billed as a health care focused “mini-session.”

COLIN CAMPBELL: Tax Refund (N.C. Insider reports) -- Income taxpayers in neighboring Virginia and S.C. recently received tax refund checks thanks to action by their legislatures, but N.C. taxpayers likely won't get money back until the spring.

T.C. HUNTER: Lawmakers hope to finally get scholarship dollars to vet families (The Robesonian reports) -- At least one state lawmaker fully expects the release of scholarship money for the children of the state's military veterans to be taken up when the General Assembly convenes. Some people "dragged their feet" on the scholarship money issue and lawmakers are eager to make things right, said Rep. Garland Pierce, D-Scotland. The Democrat expects the scholarship money legislation to be approved in the House and then sent to the Senate because "it's not a partisan issue."

Highway Patrol ends contract with NC State after promotions probe (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- The patrol gave no reason for ending the $600,000 contract, but an investigation found an NC State grad student had prematurely disclosed promotions test results.

NC man charged with bringing weapons to NJ Coast Guard site (AP reports) -- A N.C. man has been charged with trying to bring an assault weapon, body armor and hollow-point bullets into a U.S. Coast Guard Training Center in New Jersey.

NC to mark 75th anniversary of deaths in secret WWII project (AP reports) -- The Russian ambassador to the U.S. is among those expected to attend a service to mark the 75th anniversary of the deaths of five people during a top-secret World War II mission when hundreds of Soviet aviators trained on N.C.'s coast.

Woman sues Bragg soldiers, Tinder, Snapchat over alleged sex assault, revenge porn (WRAL-TV reports) -- A former N.C. State University student alleges that lax policies of social media apps Tinder and Snapchat make it easier for men to troll for women to sexually assault and to engage in "revenge porn."

Fact check: Facebook post shares fake image of Australia fires (PolitiFact/WRAL-TV reports) -- As wildfires continue to burn millions of acres of land in Australia, some social media users are misusing a digital visualization to draw attention to the disaster. One image published on Facebook Jan. 5 claims to show a satellite view of Australia provided by a NASA satellite.

WRAL, PolitiFact launch new 'Facebook Fridays' segment (PolitiFact/WRAL-TV reports) -- WRAL and PolitiFact roll out "Facebook Fridays." Each Friday, we'll examine a viral Facebook post that has been fact-checked by PolitiFact. The segment will likely take on the same format as our other PolitiFact segments and air roughly around the same time.

CELIA RIVENBARK: Golden Globes’ scallopgate is mushrooming (Wilmington Star-News column) -- Am I the only one who thinks it would’ve been hilarious if someone at the Golden Globes had frowned in disgust and hissed at the waiter: “I had the STEAK!” when the vegan meal was presented with a flourish? Turnabout’s fair play and all that.

Unexpected Gift Makes Its Way to First Tee of the Sandhills (Southern Pines Pilot reports) -- State Treasurer Dale Folwell delivered a $1,100 check to First Tee of the Sandhills. The money comes from the state’s unclaimed property fund, which Folwell’s office oversees.

RICHARD HUDSON: Congress Can Achieve Work Without High Partisan Moves (Southern Pines Pilot column) -- Recently, Washington Democrats passed articles of impeachment with zero evidence President Donald Trump committed a crime or an impeachable offense. It was a dark day for our republic, but Washington Democrats had been planning for this all along.

192 people were shot in Durham in 2019. How the police chief says violence has changed (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- Police Chief C.J. Davis sees an “emboldened attitude” on the streets of the Bull City.

North Carolina town founded by freed slaves gets levee help (AP reports) -- The U.S . Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to spend $39.6 million to help preserve an eastern North Carolina town founded by freed slaves that's been damaged repeatedly by floodwaters from hurricanes.

Two Fort Bragg paratroopers killed in Afghanistan (WRAL-TV reports) -- Two Fort Bragg paratroopers were killed in Afghanistan, officials announced.

NC State grad among those killed on flight shot down by Iran. ‘We’re all devastated.’ (Charlotte Observer reports) -- A 33-year-old woman who earned a master's degree at N.C. State University was among those aboard the airplane shot down after takeoff in Tehran. Bahareh Karami had visited family in her native Iran before boarding the flight to return to her home in Ontario, Canada. All 176 passengers and crew aboard the Boeing 737 were killed, including 57 Canadians. Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 had taken off for Kiev. Iran said Saturday it had accidentally shot down the plane.

NC State grad among those killed when Ukrainian plane shot down over IranNC State grad among those killed when Ukrainian plane shot down over Iran (WRAL-TV reports) -- An NC State graduate who passed away in the Ukrainian plane crash in Tehran is remembered as an "optimistic, joyful person," who never gave up. She was in Tehran visiting her family.

Soldiers ordered to leave phones, other electronics at Bragg while deployed (WRAL-TV reports) -- Fort Bragg soldiers who were recently deployed to the Middle East were ordered to leave their cellphones and other electronic devices on post.

Raleigh community mourns victims after Iran shoots down Ukrainian plane (WRAL-TV reports) -- In Raleigh, hundreds in the Iranian community gathered on Fayetteville Street to pay their respects to the 176 victims killed when a Ukrainian passenger plane was shot down.

LAURA LESLIE: Report on Sons of Confederate Veterans raises legal flags (WRAL-TV reports) -- New reporting by The Daily Tar Heel, UNC's student newspaper, raises questions about whether the neo-Confederate group at the center of the "Silent Sam" controversy has broken state and federal tax and campaign finance laws.

Another government body tells public to butt out (Wilmington Star-News) -- It’s a simple idea, and it’s a wonder that so many politicians have trouble with it: Public business must be done in public.

MATTHEW BURNS & AARON THOMAS: Citing school board 'roadblocks and interference,' interim Johnston schools chief quits (WRAL-TV reports) -- Interim Superintendent Jim Causby resigned saying "roadblocks and interference" by some members of the Johnston County Board of Education makes it difficult for him to do his job. Board member Ronald Johnson has alleged corruption in the district for weeks, claiming that two female employees have been sexually harassed and that district financial officials lied to the school board about the district's deficit. Board Chairman Todd Sutton and others blasted Johnson last week, saying he should put forward evidence to substantiate his claims or stop making public allegations that only divide the district.

Citing school board ‘interference,’ Jim Causby resigns as Johnston superintendent (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- Jim Causby unexpectedly announced his resignation as interim superintendent of Johnston County Schools -- the latest tumultuous event to affect the school system in recent months. Causby had agreed to come out of retirement after the previous superintendent Ross Renfrow abruptly announced his resignation in August. Causby was supposed to stay on until June 30. But on Friday, Causby cited "roadblocks and interference" from members of the school board for his early departure.

ANN DOSS HELMS: CMS spent over $1 million on a school security system. It doesn’t work (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- After the fatal shooting of a student at Butler High School in 2018, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ leaders assured the public that a new crisis alert system would make children safer. But they didn’t reveal one important detail: The system didn’t work.

State IT chief threatens to cancel NC superintendent's 'emergency' Istation contract (WRAL-TV reports) -- N.C. state information technology leaders sent a memo to State Superintendent Mark Johnson disputing that his payment of almost $1 million to keep a controversial reading program in schools constituted an "emergency," and warning that state IT chief Eric Boyette may cancel it.

Nash-Rocky Mount parents asked to weigh in on safety in elementary schools (WRAL-TV reports) -- The Nash-Rocky Mount school district will give parents a chance to weigh in on school safety and security measures. In May, Nash-Rocky Mount schools brought up concerns about not having enough security in some of their schools. Only one of the 16 elementary schools in the district has cameras, and officials say the district has no school resource officers. The major reason, officials said, is a lack of funding.

Former UNC women's basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell cited in connection with woman's death in Durham parking lot (WRAL-TV reports) -- Former North Carolina women's basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell was cited in a crash that killed a woman. Durham police said Hatchell, 67, was cited for misdemeanor death by vehicle and unsafe movement violation. The woman, Betty Colby, 89, died on Jan. 8.

Ex-UNC women's basketball coach charged in pedestrian death (AP reports) -- The former women's basketball coach at the University of North Carolina has been charged in connection with an accident that killed an elderly pedestrian,.

Sylvia Hatchell, former UNC basketball coach, cited in death of pedestrian (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- Sylvia Hatchell, the former UNC women's basketball coach, was cited with misdemeanor death by vehicle after an 89-year-old pedestrian was hit in a parking lot near Chapel Hill, a Durham Police Department spokesperson confirmed. Betty Colby died Jan. 8, two days after being hit by a vehicle and hitting her head on the pavement in a parking lot on Farrington Road. Hatchell, 67, was also charged with an unsafe movement violation.

Durham teacher suspended after accusation in Wake schools led to $450K settlement (WRAL-TV reports) -- Durham Public Schools has suspended a Northern Durham High School teacher with pay after learning Thursday that an accusation against him during his time in Wake County schools led to a $450,000 settlement with a student's family.

Puberty talks: Poe Center plans workshop for boys and their mothers (WRAL-TV reports) -- The Poe Center for Health Education will host one of its popular sessions to help parents and kids broach the sometimes tricky topic of puberty together.

DANA GOLDSTEIN: Two States. Eight Textbooks. Two American Stories. (New York Times) -- The textbooks cover the same sweeping story, from the brutality of slavery to the struggle for civil rights. The self-evident truths of the founding documents to the waves of immigration that reshaped the nation. The books have the same publisher. They credit the same authors. But they are customized for students in different states, and their contents sometimes diverge in ways that reflect the nation’s deepest partisan divides.

Rule Change Would Let Dental Hygienists Offer Cleanings, Sealants (WFAE-FM reports) -- Nearly 2.5 million N.C. residents live in areas with a shortage of dental care, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services data. A proposed rule change would let the state use dental hygienists to help fill the oral health gap. The proposed change would let dental hygienists working in high-need areas do teeth cleanings without a dentist present. It would also allow them to apply sealants, a protective coating for teeth designed to help prevent cavities. Dental hygienists usually have at least two years of training.

ADAM OWENS: McDougald residents one week after evacuation: 'We are fed up and we are tired' (WRAL-TV reports) -- Some McDougald Terrace residents have been evacuated from their homes for more than a week. At a meeting at a school auditorium, they learned more about the dangers in their homes and when they can return. The meeting also gave them a chance to express frustration and other emotions about what is happening to them.

SLOANE HEFFERNAN & MATTHEW BURNS: McDougald Terrace evacuations to continue 'at least another week' (WRAL-TV reports) -- Hundreds of McDougald Terrace residents will have to remain out of their homes for "at least another week" because of carbon monoxide problems at the Durham public housing complex. About 270 of the 300-plus families who live in the public housing complex have been moved to a dozen area hotels over the last week so work crews can perform thorough checks of the gas-powered furnaces, water heaters and ovens in the units.

NEPA Redo Would Speed Drilling Approval (Coastal Review reports) -- Donald Trump’s proposal to “modernize” the National Environmental Policy Act would fast-track the permitting process for infrastructure, including oil drilling off the N.C. coast.

Is President Trump blowing hot air on wind turbines? (Wilmington Star-News) -- He has some fair points, but positives of this clean-energy source far outweigh the negatives.

High Tides, Rising Sea Levels Worry Coastal NC Residents (Public News Service reports) -- Coastal towns braced for the first high tide of the year this past weekend, and many small-business owners say they have adapted to what is becoming the "new norm" of increased flooding during high tides and more frequent extreme weather due to climate change. Jamie Anderson owns a bookstore in the town of Manteo. She said in her three decades of living on the Outer Banks, she's witnessed a significant uptick in the number of flooding events. For Anderson, this has meant a shift in the way she operates her business.

Progress made on coal ash (Winston-Salem Journal) -- The dirty secret about coal is that it is neither as cheap or efficient an energy source as we once believed.

SCOTT NUNN: Insurance rates at N.C. coast soar again. Is the system broken? (Wilmington Star-News reports) -- If you own a home in coastal North Carolina but don't live in it, you will likely see an increase in the premium you pay for wind insurance beginning July 1. The group that represents insurance companies recently struck a deal with the N.C. Department of Insurance that will result in a statewide average 5.3% increase for wind coverage for non-owner-occupied residences. The N.C. Rate Bureau, a state-mandated group that represents insurance companies, had requested a 24.3% increase in wind-coverage premiums and a 4.6% hike in fire coverage. No increase in fire premiums was allowed. Although the 5.3% average increase in wind coverage is a far cry from the original request, it falls almost completely on coastal areas, where it's more in the 10%-and-above range.

Median in North Carolina city consumed by bees (GASTON GAZETTE reports) - A run-of-the-mill concrete median in downtown Gastonia has been turning heads after getting a flashy makeover. The visual buzz stems in part from the bright yellow coat of paint that has been applied to the low-lying barrier, which separates a short portion of the east and westbound lanes on U.S. 74. But it’s also based on the oversized black honeybees that appear to be crawling and lighting on the surface.

Strange history of stuff that's washed up on the Outer Banks (The Virginian Pilot reports) --From a bagged body to unexploded ordnance to parts of a spaceship, almost anything could show up on an Outer Banks beach.

Has the Triangle been booming or are we just hitting our stride? (WRAL-TV reports) -- The first of a four part series that looks at what makes the Triangle so desirable in 2020. Whether you have lived in the Triangle your whole life or just relocated to the area, it’s likely you’ve run across countless reports and ‘best of’ after ‘best of’ list bringing notoriety to the greater Raleigh-Durham area. Most recently, in the report by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the Triangle surged ahead once again, coming in second in a ranking for Best Real Estate Prospects in the nation for 2020. Their report ranks the top 80 cities in the country based on a number of familiar and lesser-known factors. North Carolinians can be state-proud as they review the list, because not only is the Raleigh-Durham market number two in the country, but Charlotte was reported in the number four spot.