North Carolina Republicans seek control over state and local election boards ahead of 2024
Republicans who control the North Carolina legislature with veto-proof majorities are close to wresting supervision of elections from the governor and the governor’s party — almost always the Democrats for over a century.
Residents pick through the rubble of lost homes and scattered belongings in Hurricane Idalia's wake
Florida and Georgia residents living along Hurricane Idalia’s path of destruction are picking through piles of rubble where homes once stood, throwing tarps over roofs and gingerly navigating through mazes of streets left underwater or clogged with fallen trees.
Veto overridden: Ban on gender-affirming care for minors takes effect in North Carolina
Transgender youth in North Carolina have lost access to gender-affirming treatments after the state’s Republican-controlled General Assembly voted to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of that legislation and others involving gender in sports and LGBTQ classroom instruction.
North Carolina governor vetoes trio of LGBTQ+ restrictions in ongoing fight with GOP supermajority
North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has vetoed a trio of bills aimed at LGBTQ+ youth that would restrict gender-affirming health care and sports participation for transgender minors and limit classroom instruction about gender identity and sexuality.
Primaries spotlight coming battles over state supreme courts
Upcoming primary elections for state supreme court seats in North Carolina and Arkansas are putting the spotlight on how such races across the U.S. have grown in importance in recent years and led to high-dollar, partisan battles for control.
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Staal, Niederreiter lift Hurricanes past Predators 5-2
Jordan Staal scored twice and Nino Niederreiter beat Juuse Saros for the go-ahead goal early in the third period, helping the Carolina Hurricanes to a 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators in the first game of the teams' first-round playoff series.
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States pass their own virus aid, not waiting on Washington
– Not waiting for more federal help, states have been approving their own coronavirus aid packages, spending hundreds of millions of dollars to help residents and business owners devastated by the the pandemic's economic fallout. North Carolina's governor wants additional state aid for such things as bonus pay for teachers and boosting rural internet speeds. The spending also provides fuel for critics who say states don’t need another massive infusion of cash from Congress. “The cascading effect, it’s actually a problem that most states are grappling with ... waiting for the relief money out of the feds,” she said. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, unveiled a $695 million emergency budget proposal that would use state money to address needs related to the coronavirus.
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Cooper seeking improved warning system after deadly tornado
Officials say a ferocious tornado struck shortly before midnight Monday just inland from the barrier island of Ocean Isle Beach. Roy Cooper said Wednesday that the state must learn from the surprise tornado that struck Ocean Isle Beach with little or no warning, leaving three people dead and 10 injured. The governor surveyed the brunt of the damage, at Ocean Ridge Plantation, a neighborhood where residents recounted near-death experiences from the powerful EF3 tornado that approached swiftly. Some said they received a warning alert on their phone two minutes after the tornado had already passed. AdBefore the tornado hit his Ocean Ridge Storage Solutions business about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the Ocean Ridge Plantation, he said he was already struggling financially from the governor's pandemic-related business restrictions.
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The Latest: Biden says Milwaukee is 'cold as the devil'
(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)The Latest on winter weather across the U.S. (all times local):WASHINGTON— President Joe Biden offered his administration’s assistance Tuesday in a call with at least seven governors of states impacted by severe winter weather this week. Among those on the call were Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves and Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt. Biden, who was heading to Milwaukee to participate in a CNN town hall, declared the weather there “cold as the devil up there.”___KENSINGTON, Md. The events show how vulnerable America is to extreme weather —both hot and cold— which increases with climate change, scientists said. J.B. Pritzker has declared a disaster proclamation after a winter storm blanketed the state with snow and caused power outages.
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Pressure builds on schools to reopen during pandemic
The school has had some students in classrooms for in-person learning since September of 2020, but other students who attend the school are still learning remotely. In Cincinnati, some students returned to classrooms Tuesday after a judge threw out a teachers union lawsuit over safety concerns. In California, with 6 million public school students, teachers unions say they won’t send their members into an unsafe situation. In several states, lawmakers are advancing legislation to require more in-person learning. Roy Cooper faces pressure from GOP lawmakers to reopen more schools.
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Guard troops pour into Washington as states answer the call
Military leaders spent chunks of Thursday evening and Friday calling states in an unprecedented appeal for more National Guard troops to help lock down much of the city in the days before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. Kate Brown said she turned down the federal request to send at least 100 more National Guard troops to D.C. “I didn’t think that we could safely fill that commitment,” Brown said. Oregon has already agreed to send 30 to Washington, but state leaders are worried about violence at the state capitol in Salem. At that point, the new round of calls to the state governors and military leaders began. Roy Cooper initially agreed to send 200 Guard, and on Friday spokesman Ford Porter said the state will send 100 more.
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Marc Basnight, longest serving NC Senate leader, dies at 73
FILE - In a May 2006 file photo, Senate leader Marc Basnight speaks on the Senate floor at the Legislative Building in Raleigh, N.C. Basnight died Monday, Dec. 28, 2020, at age 73. Despite humble beginnings and little formal education, Basnight rose through state politics to serve in the Senate for 26 years. His nine two-year terms as Senate president pro tempore made him the longest-serving head of a legislative body in North Carolina history. While Senate leader, GOP senators complained Basnight had consolidated too much power. Bob Jordan died in February, while Sen. Tony Rand, who was majority leader and rules committee chairman under Basnight, died in May.
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Biden picks Regan for EPA nominee, Haaland for interior head
Scott Applewhite, File)President-elect Joe Biden says he had chosen North Carolina regulator Michael S. Regan as his nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency and New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland as his pick for interior secretary. Biden will introduce Regan, Haaland and other newly named nominees at an event Saturday. North Carolina Gov. In North Carolina, Regan led the negotiations that resulted in the cleanup of the Cape Fear River, which has been dangerously contaminated by PFAS industrial compounds from a chemical plant. With Duke Energy, he negotiated what North Carolina says was the largest cleanup agreement for toxic coal ash.
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Biden picks North Carolina environmental chief to lead EPA
Biden's pick of Regan, who leads his state's environmental agency, was confirmed by two people familiar with the selection process, as was his choice of Haaland. Regan became environmental chief in North Carolina in 2017. North Carolina Gov. He negotiated what North Carolina says was the largest cleanup agreement for toxic coal ash, with Duke Energy. President Donald Trump had made the agency a special target for his drive to cut regulation, saying early on he would leave only “bits” of the environmental agency.
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2017 ban on local LGBT ordinances ends in North Carolina
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistribu)RALEIGH, N.C. – A 3 1/2-year ban on new local ordinances aimed at protecting LGBT rights in North Carolina expired Tuesday, prompting gay rights groups to urge the passage of such measures now. It drew national condemnation and prompted several large corporations and sports teams to relocate events to other states or reconsider expanding in North Carolina. As the moratorium ended, leaders of Equality North Carolina and the Campaign for Southern Equality on Tuesday urged North Carolina residents to contact leaders of cities and urge them to expand anti-discrimination laws for the LGBT community. The moratorium had barred new local ordinances related to private employment, hotels and restaurants. Beau Mills, executive director of the North Carolina Metro Mayors Coalition, said before the ban ended that he wasn't aware of any city planning to pass new ordinances right away.
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States impose new rules, plead with public to stop spread
Pete Ricketts warned that he could impose tighter social-distancing restrictions before Thanksgiving if hospitalizations continue to rise. In Washington state, elective procedures such as joint and heart valve replacements and some cancer surgeries could be postponed to make room for coronavirus patients, said Washington State Hospital Association CEO Cassie Sauer. Even so, health officials are trying everything they can to slow the spread and address an even worse surge that many say is inevitable. New York Gov. New York state has averaged nearly 5,500 new cases per day over the past seven days.
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Republicans retain power in states despite Democratic push
“This was a status quo election.”Heading into Tuesday, Republicans had full control of 29 state legislatures compared to 19 for Democrats. “The reality is we are still running on very gerrymandered maps,” said Christina Polizzi, national press secretary for the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. They were countered by the Republican state leadership committee, which had a target of about $70 million. But Republican redistricting power will be diminished in some states because of changes that occurred in recent years. Instead, Republicans added to their House ranks with more conservatives, increasing the potential to override vetoes by Democratic Gov.
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Montana goes red; it's status quo in other governor races
Mike Parson, and State Auditor Nicole Galloway are seen onstage before the Missouri gubernatorial debate at the Missouri Theatre in Columbia, Missouri. Democrats are hoping to gain control of more state legislative chambers after Republicans scored huge wins in 2010. The only governor's job to change parties is in Montana, where Republican U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte defeated Democratic Lt. Gov. The national Democratic and Republican governors associations and the campaigns themselves have contributed more than $24 million to the race. In Missouri, incumbent Mike Parson, a Republican, defeated Nicole Galloway, the state auditor who was the Democrats' best chance to pick up a seat.
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Races for governor take top billing in Missouri, Montana
FILE - In this Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020 file photo, Missouri Republican Gov. Its the most hotly contested of the nations 11 governors races this fall. Which party holds the governor's office could be especially consequential over the next few years. In governor’s races, many of the attack ads are funded by each party’s governors association. In the governor’s race, he said Gianforte’s financial support of a Montana museum dedicated to creationist beliefs was a big problem.
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Voting, virus, race are hot topics in state high court races
This year alone, state supreme courts have been thrust into the spotlight to decide politically charged cases over voting rights, race and governors' coronavirus orders. State supreme court races have become similarly partisan and often attract millions of dollars in campaign spending, much of it from groups outside the state. Among other hot button issues, the coming year could see state high courts decide matters on eviction moratoriums, private school vouchers, abortion and redistricting. In Ohio, a 5-2 Republican majority is at stake on the state high court in two races that are attracting outside money. Millions of dollars are being spent in Texas, where all nine state supreme court justices are Republicans and the high court has not had a Democratic justice since 1998.
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Cunningham keeps low in NC Senate race marked by his affair
FILE - In this Oct. 1, 2020, file photo, Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham talks during during a televised debate with Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., in Raleigh, N.C. Cunningham inched back into the public sphere on Wednesday, Oct. 7, a day after The Associated Press reported the he had an intimate encounter this summer with a public relations consultant. Within hours of the military disclosing that it is investigating Cunningham, a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve, he rejected the idea that the race with Tillis had turned into a referendum on his character, even while expressing remorse for extramarital activity. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, Pool)
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Cunningham keeps low in NC Senate race marked by his affair
(AP Photo/Gerry Broome, Pool)RALEIGH, N.C. – North Carolina Democratic Senate candidate Cal Cunningham is bypassing uncomfortable questions about his extramarital activities in the final days of his closely contested race with GOP Sen. Thom Tillis. Tillis' campaign also says he's given more than two dozen interviews since Cunningham's lone news conference. Groups from the Human Rights Campaign to the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters to unions are coming to Cunningham's side. Cunningham’s campaign didn’t make him available for an AP interview. “It's troubling for sure, but I don’t think that those actions will change what he can do for North Carolina,” Hall said.
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Carter, No. 8 UNC run past No. 19 Virginia Tech 56-45
19 Virginia Tech. 19 Virginia Tech 56-45 on Saturday. Khalil Herbert ran for 138 yards and two touchdowns for Virginia Tech (2-1, 2-1), which again played shorthanded due to coronavirus and injury issues. “North Carolina’s explosive on offense,” Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente said. Things got closer, but the Tar Heels rolled with an offense that looked equally as prolific whether throwing or running.
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Cunningham inches back into public as Army confirms probe
RALEIGH, N.C. – North Carolina U.S. Senate candidate Cal Cunningham inched back into the public sphere on Wednesday, a day after The Associated Press reported the Democratic contender had an intimate encounter this summer with a public relations consultant. “The Army Reserve is investigating the matters involving (Lt. Col.) James Cunningham,” Lt. Col. Simon Flake said in an emailed statement Wednesday morning that cited Cunningham by his official first name. “He owes North Carolinians a full explanation,” Tillis’ campaign account tweeted Wednesday. “The truth still matters in North Carolina, Cal.”Cunningham also made his first quasi-public appearance Wednesday night — speaking briefly at an environmental awards ceremony. The Tillis-Cunningham race is closely contested and the most expensive Senate race in the country in terms of campaign spending.
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Bridgewater, Panthers fix red-zone woes, top Cardinals 31-21
You'd never know it watching Bridgewater break the pocket, juke two defenders and race 18 yards to the end zone on Sunday, helping the Carolina Panthers defeat the Arizona Cardinals 31-21 for their second straight win. Bridgewater also threw for 276 yards and two scores as the Panthers solved their red-zone issues from a week ago by scoring TDs on their first four trips inside the Arizona 20-yard line. It was tough to catch up all day.”Said Panthers DE Brian Burns: “We put emphasis on keeping eyes on (Murray). After the game, Bridgewater gave his offensive line the game ball. “We didn’t play well enough or coach well enough in any phase,” Kingsbury said.
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Lockdowns are fading, but GOP outrage isn’t in campaigns
She flew to Michigan to rally with shutdown protesters and launched a run for the Texas Senate, hammering Republican Gov. Greg Abbott over virus restrictions. There is skepticism that angst over lockdown measures is enough for underdog GOP candidates to narrow the gap. In Texas, where Democrats are running closer races than they have in a generation in a longtime GOP stronghold, GOP incumbents in battleground seats have focused on the recovery rather than rail against past lockdowns. ___This story has been corrected to show that it was Jason Lewis, not Tina Smith, who criticized coronavirus restrictions.
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Trump defies virus rules as 'peaceful protest' rallies grow
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is running as the “law and order” candidate. But they have largely not tried to block the gatherings of thousands of people, which Trump and his team deem “peaceful protests” protected by the First Amendment. An indoor rally that Trump held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in June was blamed for a surge of virus infections there. Trump held an indoor rally at the Xtreme Manufacturing facility in Henderson, Nevada, on Sunday night. The state restricts gatherings to 50 people — based on White House reopening guidelines —- but thousands of supporters packed into the warehouse space nonetheless.
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Trump defies virus rules as 'peaceful protest' rallies grow
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is running as the “law and order” candidate. But they have largely not tried to block the gatherings of thousands of people, which Trump and his team deem “peaceful protests” protected by the First Amendment. An indoor rally that Trump held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in June was blamed for a surge of virus infections there. Trump held an indoor rally at the Xtreme Manufacturing facility in Henderson, Nevada, on Sunday night. The state restricts gatherings to 50 people — based on White House reopening guidelines —- but thousands of supporters packed into the warehouse space nonetheless.
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Trump and Biden run vastly different pandemic campaigns
He basked in a largely maskless crowd of several thousand supporters during a Tuesday rally in this critical battleground state. I really miss being able to, you know, grab hands and shake hands," Biden recently told supporters. "You cant do that now.With less than eight weeks until Election Day, Trump and Biden are taking diametrically opposite approaches to campaigning during a pandemic and the differences amount to more than political theater. By the way, your state should be open, Trump said in North Carolina a state where he has feuded with Gov. Later that day, Biden waved at a crowd of about 100 from the window of the AFL-CIO Pennsylvania headquarters, but declined to come any nearer after leaving the building.
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Coronavirus worries force election officials to get creative
Some are finding ways to expand access to voter registration and ballot request forms. Benjamin Hovland, chairman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, said 40 states have online voter registration, a particular benefit during the pandemic. Anheuser-Busch, the beer maker, is distributing 8 million ounces of hand sanitizer in coordination with the National Association of State Election Directors and others. If you simply have no choice, election officials say to show up at your polling place, and you will be accommodated. What if you, or a fellow voter, choose not to wear a mask, as election and health officials are pretty much universally recommending?
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2 Kansas doctors but differing COVID-19 takes in Senate race
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall's audience of about 40 people packed a banquet room in a Kansas City-area bistro. They stood in a socially distanced circle outside an elementary school empty of students in Manhattan in northeast Kansas. Bollier has Democrats hoping they can win a Kansas Senate seat for the first time since 1932. She's run a largely virtual campaign, a caution she says is guided by both her background and personal experience. Schools in Kansas City and Wichita, the state's largest city, have suspended fall sports and moved classes for many students online.
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The Latest: India's cases top 2.3M, fatality rate drops
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a video conference Tuesday with the top elected officials of 10 states that together account for about 80% of Indias total cases, urging them to rigorously apply the strategies of containment, surveillance and contact tracing to drive the fatality rate below 1%. Those measures appear to have been successful in bringing numbers down from the more than 100 new daily cases reported at the end of last month. ___MEXICO CITY Mexico reported a near-record 926 newly confirmed COVID-19 deaths Tuesday, bringing the countrys accumulated total to 53,929. The Health Department reported 6,686 new coronavirus infections, bringing the countrys total confirmed cases so far to 492,522. At that rate Mexico will reach a half million confirmed cases soon, but given the extremely low rate of testing less than 1.1 million tests in a country of almost 130 million inhabitants the number would like be a vast undercount.
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North Carolina to relax 10-person limit for GOP convention
FILE - In this July 21, 2016, file photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump smiles as he addresses delegates during the final day session of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. North Carolina public health officials told the Republican National Committee the party can have more than 10 people in a room to conduct official convention business while in Charlotte. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)RALEIGH, N.C. North Carolina will ease gathering restrictions for the Republican National Convention in Charlotte this month after a push by the national party for the state to be more accommodating. The RNC has estimated it would have no more than 500 delegates per day at the Charlotte Convention Center and the Westin hotel. The back-and-forth between the state and RNC comes amid a months-long battle between Trump and North Carolina's Democratic governor.
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No hoopla: Virus upends Trump, Biden convention plans
Ill probably do mine live from the White House, Trump said, but he also said it was not locked in. If I use the White House, we save tremendous amounts of money for the government in terms of security, traveling," he said. Biden has been on the convention stage twice as the vice presidential nominee for Barack Obama. Those kinds of effects and approaches could be repeated even without a traditional convention stage in an arena or stadium. Four years later, he walked out to a full outdoor stadium a remarkable scene in the annals of presidential conventions in Denver.
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No hoopla: Virus upends Trump, Biden convention plans
Roy Cooper, a Democrat, who wouldnt guarantee the state would lift restrictions on large crowds like the scenes inside a presidential convention arena. Ill probably do mine live from the White House, Trump said, but he also said it was not locked in. Biden has been on the convention stage twice as the vice presidential nominee for Barack Obama. Those kinds of effects and approaches could be repeated even without a traditional convention stage in an arena or stadium. Four years later, he walked out to a full outdoor stadium a remarkable scene in the annals of presidential conventions in Denver.
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Hurricane Isaias makes landfall in North Carolina
NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. Hurricane Isaias has made landfall near Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, according to the National Hurricane Center. The Hurricane Center said it expected the storm to make landfall early Tuesday near southern North Carolina. Still, on this part of the South Carolina and North Carolina coasts that has been affected to varying degrees by seven tropical storms or hurricanes since 2014, residents weren't panicking. Up the coast in southern North Carolina, high winds from Isaias inner core knocked down trees and power lines, blocking roads. Farther up the coast into North Carolina, the hurricane center predicted storm surges of 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 meters) when Isaias moves onshore.
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Isaias, again a tropical storm, spawns wild inland weather
NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. Tropical Storm Isaias brought dangerous winds and heavy rain over eastern Virginia early Tuesday after making landfall as a hurricane near Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. A tropical storm warning extended all the way up to Maine, where flash flooding was possible in some areas on Wednesday. Isaias (pronounced ees-ah-EE-ahs) was upgraded again from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane Monday evening. Early Tuesday the storm, downgraded again, was centered about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Greenville, North Carolina. Whether its labeled a tropical storm or a hurricane, you should take this storm seriously, and make sure your family is ready, Cooper said.
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Mike Pence to visit Raleigh in push for schools to reopen
Vice President Mike Pence, center, gestures as he speaks during a news conference with Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn, left, and Florida Gov. Pence was in Florida to mark the beginning of Phase III trials for a coronavirus vaccine. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)RALEIGH, N.C. Vice President Mike Pence will travel to Raleigh on Wednesday morning in a push to encourage more K-12 schools to reopen with entirely in-person instruction. According to an announcement from his office, Pence will join a roundtable discussion highlighting how a private school has worked to safely resume classes. After his visit to Thales Academy, Pence will remain in the Raleigh area to tour NCBiotech, which is conducting Phase 3 clinical trails for a coronavirus vaccine.
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State and local officials tussle over virus restrictions
Across the U.S., state and local officials are trying to balance the competing priorities of protecting their citizens from the coronavirus while keeping the economy running. President Donald Trump also visited Atlanta on Wednesday, arriving at the airport without a face mask. Edwards' initially had resisted a statewide mask order, but changed his mind as case numbers began rising rapidly in Louisiana. Yale University law professor David Schleicher says in cases like Georgias, where it is the state versus local government, the state almost always wins. Thats not to say it is absolute.Schleicher pointed to Wisconsin where the state Supreme Court voted in May to strike down Democratic Gov.
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The Latest: India reimposes lockdown as cases near 1 million
Several Indian states imposed weekend curfews and locked down high-risk areas as the number of coronavirus cases surged past 900,000 on Tuesday. The latest figures released Tuesday show Bernalillo County, which includes the states most populous metro area, added another 65 confirmed cases. Utah has now recorded 226 confirmed deaths from COVID-19 and nearly 30,500 confirmed cases. ___JOHANNESBURG South Africa has surpassed the UK in its number of confirmed coronavirus cases. ___ATHENS, Greece The Greece government has ruled out a new lockdown after a rise in reported coronavirus infections since opening its borders.
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Governors face competing voices as reported virus cases rise
With reported coronavirus cases rising rapidly in many states, governors are getting lots of advice on what they should do. Dr. Brian Labus, an assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Public Health and a member of the medical team advising Sisolak, said he knows the governor has to weigh public health advice against political and economic considerations. The number of confirmed new coronavirus cases per day in the U.S. hit an all-time high of 40,000 Friday. In Utah, coronavirus cases have been surging since most businesses were allowed to reopen in May. As West Virginia has seen a spike in reported virus cases, Gov.
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Masks, travel restrictions, testing as virus cases surge
Indonesia was expected to pass the 50,000 mark for confirmed infections on Thursday. India reported a record high 16,922 cases on Thursday, taking the national total to 473,105, with nearly 15,000 deaths. China reporting 19 newly confirmed cases nationwide amid mass testing in the capital. The virus has been blamed for over 120,000 U.S. deaths the highest toll in the world and more than 2.3 million confirmed infections nationwide. ___Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
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Democrats confirm plans for nearly all-virtual convention
Democrats will hold an almost entirely virtual presidential nominating convention Aug. 17-20 in Milwaukee using live broadcasts and online streaming, party officials said Wednesday. Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi will serve as convention chair, party officials said. Unlike this president, Joe Biden and Democrats are committed to protecting the health and safety of the American people, Perez said. Besides events in Wisconsin, Democrats plan other events in satellite locations around the country to broadcast as part of the convention. Veteran producer Ricky Kirshner, who has worked on every Democratic National Convention since 1992, will lead production of the convention, including the satellite broadcasts.
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While Confederate statues come down, other symbols targeted
Sundays work follows the removal of two other Confederate statues on the state Capitol grounds in Raleigh on Saturday. Cooper ordered the statues removed after protesters toppled two other Confederate statues Friday night, stringing one up by the neck and hanging it from a light pole. Cooper has advocated the statues removal for years. In another case in California, symbols of the Black Lives Matter movement have been targeted in recent weeks with vandalism. The Ventura County Sheriffs Office said late Saturday that a tarp painted with the letters BLM has been repeatedly damaged in Thousand Oaks.