Welcome. This is a weekly feature of North Carolina Blue. The platform gives readers interested in North Carolina politics a place to share their knowledge, insight and inspiration as we take back our state from some of the most extreme Republicans in the nation. Please stop by each week. You can also join the discussion in four other weekly State Open Threads. If you are interested in starting your own state blog, weekly to occasionally, I will list your work below.
Colorado: Mondays, 7:00 PM Mountain Michigan: Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Eastern North Carolina: Sundays, 1:00 PM Eastern Missouri: Wednesday Evenings Kansas: Monday Evenings
Please jump the fold for links to a few North Carolina stories I found useful this week.
In his first major public appearance after Thursday night’s presidential debate in Atlanta, a fiery and animated President Joe Biden addressed a loud and enthusiastic crowd on Friday at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh.
In a speech interrupted repeatedly by applause and chants of “four more years!” and “yes you can!” from an audience that seemed almost as if it was trying to provide him with an infusion of energy, the 81-year-old chief executive ticked off a long list of his administration’s accomplishments, blasted what he said were Donald Trump’s repeated lies and policy failures, and directly addressed the issue of his age and his much-criticized debate performance.
At one point in his remarks, during which he paused several times to cough and clear his throat, Biden acknowledged his age and that it has become an issue.
North Carolinians must earn $3.61 more per hour and work more than they did in 2023 to pay for a modest apartment, according to a new National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) report.
The coalition’s 2024 Out of Reach: The High Cost of Housing report found that the 2024 “housing wage” for North Carolina is $25.21 per hour, which is an increase of $3.61 an hour when compared to the $21.54 per hour wage a worker needed in 2023 to pay for a modest apartment. North Carolina has the 28th highest housing wage in the nation, according to the report.
Nationally, according to the report, the national housing wage is $32.11 for a modest two-bedroom rental and $26.74 for a modest one-bedroom rental. California has the highest state housing wage at $47.38. North Dakota has the lowest at $18.38.
Republicans in the North Carolina House made short work of three of Governor Roy Cooper’s vetoes on Wednesday during a marathon session.
The first veto to fall was House Bill 198, “Department of Transportation Legislative Changes.” Rep. Tim Longest (D-Wake) urged his colleagues to vote against the override and protect redbud trees from overzealous cutting by billboard companies.
“If we don’t want to see North Carolina look more like South Carolina, I’d encourage you to vote against this [override]” said Longest.
Cooper’s veto was overridden 74-42.
The legislature last week passed 33 bills -- most of them on Thursday, the final day of votes. At times, state legislators appeared to have only a vague idea of what they were voting on as the GOP-led General Assembly wrapped up its 2024 session.
The final days of North Carolina's 2024 legislative session saw what had been a relatively unproductive affair end in a torrent of action, drama and confusion. The legislature last week passed 33 bills — most of them on Thursday, the final day of votes.
At one point Thursday the Senate sent the House a new version of a bill containing a slew of public health policy changes. Democratic Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford, asked if one of her Republican colleagues could explain what the new version would do — or if the House could take a three-minute break to let lawmakers read the bill they had just been asked to vote on.
Jockey's Ridge hides a secret castle beneath its ever-shifting sands -- remains from a 1970s mini golf course that was swallowed long ago.
Thousands of families visit the Outer Banks to climb the incredible sand dunes at Jockey's Ridge each year. Many have no idea, however, what's hidden beneath the 400 acres of sand that covers the largest active dune on the East Coast.
With no shade and bright sun, the endless, shifting dunes give a sense of being alone in a desert. Like living mountains, the dunes move seamlessly over time with the sea breeze.
Is it an illusion? A trick of the light? On the horizon, there appears to be a giant sand castle. Sometimes it's there; other times, it's gone. Sometimes, only the small top of a turret is visible. But this summer, there's no question: The full castle has been unveiled by the shifting sands.
Thanks for reading, I hope you found some news worth exploring. Have a great week.
