Good morning. It’s second primary day, including what may be THE most important race in North Carolina.

Hint: Vote for Judge Mike Morgan.

But first, there are some other primaries happening today, too.

1. It’s Hillary, says the math.

And also, The Associated Press:



Eight years after conceding she was unable to “shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling,” Hillary Clinton is embracing her place in history as she finally crashes through as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

Throughout her surprisingly rocky primary campaign, Clinton has been cautious about emphasizing her trailblazer status. But as she campaigned in California in recent days, the former secretary of state signaled she was ready to acknowledge her distinction as the first woman to top the presidential ticket of a major U.S. political party.

The Associated Press determined Monday that Clinton had reached the 2,383 delegates needed to become the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Which means that, pretty soon, all your squabbling Facebook friends will finally STFU, or at least move on to something else, sheesh.

There are signs that President Obama has moved to seal the deal, even as Bernie Sanders supporters are counting on an upset in California today:

But amid clear signs that Democratic Party grandees are moving to shut down the campaign after Tuesday, a party source told CNN that President Barack Obama spoke to Sanders by phone on Tuesday. Two other Democratic sources, meanwhile, said the President is poised to deliver his endorsement of Clinton as early as this week.

2. Governor Pat McCrory vetoed the coal ash bill. Wow, didn’t see that coming. From The News & Observer:

“This legislation is not good for the environment or for the rule of law in North Carolina,” McCrory said in a statement. “This bill lacks a firm deadline to connect well owners to alternate water supplies.”

The General Assembly has enough votes to override the veto, having passed overwhelmingly in both chambers with bipartisan support. Duke Energy, which owns the 33 basins filled with the residue of coal-fired power plants, supports the bill.

The bill would assure neighbors of coal ash ponds that they could be connected to municipal water supplies at Duke Energy’s expense, out of fears that their wells have been polluted. He also objects to the bill’s creation of a commission to regulate cleanup at the ponds. The N.C. Supreme Court this year agreed that the legislature’s previous creation of the commission was unconstitutional because it intruded on executive branch authority.

Ah! Yes. Supreme Court. That reminds us….


3. Hey, hey, it’s voting day. Again. For you. Here’s another reminder from Bob Geary about what’s at stake in a race for N.C. Supreme Court that will almost certainly include conservative sitting Judge Bob “Walker, Texas Ranger” Edmunds in November:

Twice so far, the Supreme Court has approved the current Republican maps. The first time, in 2014, the vote was 4–2 (one seat was vacant), with Edmunds writing the majority opinion for the Republican bloc. Ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court to review the maps a second time, the Republican quartet again rubber-stamped them in a 4–3 opinion written by Newby.

Each time, the court’s only African-American justice, Cheri Beasley, authored angry dissents, joined by her fellow Democrats, blasting the maps as illegal racial gerrymanders.

It’s not hard to surmise that if the Republicans lose control of the court, Beasley’s dissents will become the majority opinion and the Republican gerrymandering will eventually be struck down. That might not cost the Republicans control of the legislature, at least not right away. At a minimum, though, their margins would be thinner, and there would be far fewer safely Republican districts.

That, in turn, might curb the Republicans’ enthusiasm for legislation like House Bill 2.

Vote for Judge Mike Morgan. Do it. (Please.)

4. Bigfoot lives in Littleton. Who knew? From WNCN:

Multiple people have claimed to see a large, furry looking animal trudging through the woods in the Halifax County town, according to one resident. There’s now even a museum dedicated to the sightings of what some are calling a Bigfoot.

“I literally could see him from all the way over here. I started hearing it, hearing it,” said Tifanie Merrill, who told CBS North Carolina she saw the creature from her kitchen window early one morning.

“It was very large, and its hair was super long and it was running so fast,” said Merrill.

Or, as his the big fella’s wife was heard hollering: “Earl get back in the damn house — and put yer pants on!”

Y’all have a great day, hear? Go vote now.