Well, we knew something like this was coming: as the U.S. Department of Justice’s Monday deadline passes for Governor Pat McCrory to confirm that he won’t implement HB 2, McCrory filed a federal lawsuit in the Eastern District of North Carolina against the United States and the DOJ, asking the court to clarify that HB […]
Paul Blest
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The Morning Roundup: Judgment Day
Morning, y’all. Hope you got some sun yesterday.1. Deadline for compliance with the Civil Rights Act passes. You might remember that last week, the Justice Department found HB 2 to be in violation of the Civil Rights Act, and set a Monday deadline for Governor Pat McCrory to indicate that the state won’t implement HB […]
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Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest Using Official Letterhead, Office to Get Invited to Churches
Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest has been sending generic letters to pastors and churches around the state in an attempt to get them to invite him for a “Q+A session” to “probe into my faith history, beliefs, and actions.” This would be standard campaign fodder for a social conservative like Forest, who’s facing a tough rematch […]
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Richard Burr is #NeverHillary, Will Support Donald Trump
The now-assured Republican nomination of Donald Trump poses a dilemma for candidates around the country. The choice is to either distance yourself from his campaign and hope that inoculates you from attacks tying you to the many stupid things he’s said, or to be a “team player,” roll the dice, and support the nominee despite […]
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“It Seems Like Raleigh Isn’t Raleigh Anymore”
At a public meeting last Thursday at the John Chavis Community Center in southeast Raleigh, one resident lamented the ongoing changes to some of the city’s historic neighborhoods, areas where old houses and trees have been cut down to make way for new and bigger homes that don’t always jibe with the rest of the […]
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A McCrory Benefactor Wins a Key State Appointment
Governor McCrory has never shied away from appointing his political funders to top positions. Early cabinet members Art Pope and Aldona Wos can take more credit than most for helping Republicans, including McCrory, seize control to the state government. And now one of McCrory’s three picks for the state Board of Agricultureall of whom were […]
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Welcome to the INDY’s Raleigh City Council Live Blog 2: More Bloggin’
Hope you’re having a good one and staying dry. I’m filling in for Jane tonight. Leading up to tonight’s city council meeting, a coalition of groups created a “living timeline of police violence, mass incarceration, and the War on Drugs.” Representatives from NC Fair Share, the Police Accountability Community Taskforce, and Muslims for Social Justice […]
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Migrant Workers Sue Sen. Brent Jackson, His Son, and His Farm for Labor Violations
Seven former workers at Jackson Farming Company, the Sampson County farm owned by State Senator Brent Jackson, have filed a lawsuit in federal court against the farm, Jackson, and his son Rodney alleging gross violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and the North Carolina Wage and Hour Act, and are seeking unpaid wages and […]
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U.S. District Court Judge Upholds NC Voter ID Law
In an opinion issued on Monday night, U.S. District Judge Thomas Schroeder ruled in favor of North Carolina in a lawsuit brought by the North Carolina NAACP and several churches and plaintiffs, including ninety-two year old Rosanell Eaton. Schroeder, a George W. Bush appointee, dismissed all claims against North Carolina in a 485-page ruling, including […]
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Hey, Phil Berger Has an Instagram
Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger is many things: a lover, a fighter, a winner, and one of the most respected politicians this state—nay, this country—has ever seen. Yesterday, Senator Berger joined Instagram, and was immediately greeted by throngs of his supporters, all immensely grateful for both his leadership and the opportunity to finally show […]