NC Newsline -“We have real problems to solve, and we do not have time to settle petty political scores or fight divisive culture wars,” governor says.
Gov. Josh Stein pledged in his inaugural address Saturday to continue rebuilding western North Carolina from Hurricane Helene “for as long as it takes,” outlining a range of broad priorities and calling for bipartisan work with the Republican-led legislature.
“Today we must overcome the unprecedented storm that ravaged our state, and the everyday struggles that impact our neighbors,” Stein said. “And we will.”
The address, delivered in the Capitol Building’s House chamber, was themed “North Carolina Strong” — centering the state’s response to tragedies past and present. Stein spoke to a small crowd of family, staff and the press — earlier plans for an outdoor address and block party were postponed due to weather.
Stein ticked off several priorities in the mountains — housing survivors, supporting business owners and rebuilding strong infrastructure. And he named several locals whom he’d met in recent months — a local AM radio station in Haywood County, a Watauga County business owner and a McDowell County restaurant operator.
NC Newsline - A federal appeals court will hear the NC Supreme Court elections case
NC legislature returns, with Hurricane Helene aid and oversight as top priorities
Western North Carolina to receive $1.65B in federal disaster grants
NC Treasurer: Premiums to rise with State Health Plan in dire financial shape
Nonprofit led by Mark Robinson’s wife wins reduction in disallowed expenses
Appeals court revives sexual abuse case surrounding former NC State sports medicine director
MSNBC - A Republican candidate for the state’s Supreme Court is asking that same court to make him the winner on the flimsiest of grounds.
Everyone in America should be watching North Carolina right now.
Last November, Judge Jefferson Griffin, a Republican, lost a pivotal election for the state’s Supreme Court. Now he’s asking that same court to make him the winner on the flimsiest of grounds. More specifically, he wants the Republican-dominated court to change the law about whose votes are counted, weeks after the election took place. And the court is, mystifyingly, considering his demand.
About 5.5 million people voted in this election, and a handful of elected judges have put themselves in a position to say who wins. This isn’t how it’s supposed to work. I’ve covered North Carolina politics for 20 years. I’ve seen a lot. But never have I seen a more flagrantly, anti-democratic bid to unravel the democratic process.
A margin of 734 votes is tiny, but a loss is a loss.
While President-elect Donald Trump isn’t directly involved in what’s happening here in North Carolina, his “if I didn’t win, it doesn’t count” mindset is. It’s infected Griffin and the leadership of North Carolina’s Republican Party. It is the black rot at the center of their political movement. Indeed, one longtime voting rights advocate in North Carolina referred to Griffin’s effort as “a nonviolent version of Jan. 6.”
WRAL - Post-election lawsuits over a disputed race for a North Carolina Supreme Court seat are getting complicated as the ballots of 60,000 voters are challenged. Here's what you need to know.
The 2024 election for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court is still undecided, as the losing candidate tries to have tens of thousands of votes thrown out — an attempt to tilt the outcome of the election in his favor.
It’s a complex situation that affects all 11 million people in the state — whether they’re among the challenged voters, or even if they’re someone who has never voted but whose life could change by the decisions handed down by the state’s highest court, which takes up high-profile cases focused on everything from voting rules to public school funding.
Here’s a breakdown of where things stand, what could happen next, what to do if you’re one of the voters being challenged, and why it all matters.
Who won the race?
Technically nobody has “won” the race — yet. Democratic incumbent Justice Allison Riggs received more votes than Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin, based on initial election results and two recounts. At last count, Riggs had 734 more votes than Griffin. But the North Carolina State Board of Elections hasn’t certified the race yet. It’s the only unresolved 2024 race in the state.
OTHER QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
If Riggs has more votes, why hasn’t the board certified the race?
What’s the argument for challenging these voters?
Who will make the decision?
Is it a conflict of interest for the state Supreme Court to hear the case?
What are the arguments in favor of throwing out ballots?
Is Griffin challenging all of the voters with these issues?
What’s the argument against throwing these ballots out?
Why this race?
What happens to other close races if the votes do get thrown out?
Can I find out if my vote is being challenged?
What can I do if I’m on the list?
WLOS - FEMA has extended the move-out date for its first round of eligibility review from Sunday, Jan. 12, to Tuesday, Jan. 14.
According to a release, FEMA activated the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) Program at the state's request after Hurricane Helene. The program mandates that individuals and families receiving assistance be "periodically reviewed for continued need and eligibility."
The release said the first round of eligibility reviews for continued housing assistance is complete. If occupants are no longer eligible for the TSA program, they will begin receiving aid on Jan. 3.
These occupants were initially told that they would need to vacate no later than Jan. 11.
The release said that due to the winter weather currently affecting the Western North Carolina region, the move-outs scheduled for Jan. 11 were extended until Jan. 12.
Mountain Express - The state health agency finally released a list of storm-related fatalities this week, more than three months after Tropical Storm Helene, but it includes a woman who died of breast cancer and other inconsistencies that conflict with the agency’s own records.
For months, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) denied public records requests from Asheville Watchdog and other media outlets for information about the deceased. Death certificates, autopsy reports and related documents are public records in North Carolina, but agency spokesmen said officials were waiting until the death investigations were complete.
On Jan. 6, DHHS sent a list to the media, but it contained names only — no ages, circumstances or causes of death, or even a county where each person lived or died.
The Watchdog has provided the only full accounting of the deaths in Buncombe, which suffered the most fatalities of any county. Reporters identified the deceased by combing through more than 850 death certificates, opening each PDF one at a time, to find those attributed to the storm and tracking down relatives and friends.
“The Lives We Lost” profiled each of the 41 people for whom death certificates have been filed in Buncombe. You can read the 10-part series here.
Thanks for stopping by, wishing you all a good week.
