North Carolina | The Georgia Star News

Thousands of Non-Citizens Are Listed on U.S. Voter Rolls, Watchdog Warns

May 22, 2023May 21, 2023 Just the News

Tens of thousands of non-citizens have tried or made it onto voter rolls across the U.S. over recent years, according to an election watchdog’s analysis of data from several states.

Non-citizen voters have been found on voter rolls in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Maricopa County, Ariz. In Georgia, there were non-citizens who attempted to register to vote but were placed in a pending status because there wasn’t evidence of their citizenship, so they didn’t make it onto the voter rolls.

North Carolina’s Veto-Proof Republican-Led Senate Passes 12-Week Abortion Bill

May 5, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

The Democrat governor of North Carolina has vowed to veto a 12-week bill that would ban some abortions after the veto-proof Republican-controlled Senate approved the measure Thursday night. On CNN Thursday, Gov. Roy Cooper (D) begged one Republican from each chamber of the North Carolina legislature to uphold his veto of Senate Bill 20, known as the “Care for Women, Children, and Families Act,” a measure he called a “disastrous abortion ban.”

Blue States Suffer Largest Population and Tax Revenue Losses as Red States See Largest Gains, IRS Data Shows

May 2, 2023 Just the News

Even as Democratic governors such as California’s Gavin Newsom and Illinois’ J.B. Pritzker slam red state policies, their residents are fleeing in droves for Republican-controlled states.

IRS migration data released late last week shows that California lost more residents than any other state, with a net loss of nearly 332,000 people and more than $29 billion in adjusted gross income in 2021. The state with the second largest population loss is New York, which saw a net loss of over 262,000 residents and $24.5 billion in income. Illinois, meanwhile, suffered a net loss of 105,000 people in 2021 and $10.8 billion in income.

North Carolina School District Votes to Require Parental Notification of Pronoun Changes

April 19, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

The Moore County School Board in North Carolina voted Monday night to approve a “parents’ bill of rights” policy that requires school personnel to notify parents if their children desire pronoun and name changes in keeping with a new gender identification.

The policy, which passed by a vote of 6-1, requires that teachers in the district’s schools notify parents of a child’s claim of a desire for pronoun or name change before making the changes in school, reported WRAL.

Drag Queen Performs Lap Dance on Student at North Carolina Technical College Pride Event with High Schoolers

March 29, 2023 Susan Berry, PhD

Forsyth Technical Community College’s Pride Festival organizers invited the high school students who attend schools on its campus to its event that featured drag queen performances, including one in which a drag queen is seen performing a lap dance on a person reported to be a student.

Libs of TikTok, which obtained the video of what appeared to be a drag queen performing a lap dance on a student, reported Tuesday “some parents were outraged that, although faculty members and campus police were present, no one attempted to ensure that underage students were prevented from participating in the drag event.”

Six Army Bases to be Renamed from Original Confederate Names

March 28, 2023 Admin

The dates have been revealed for when six United States Army bases will officially have their names changed due to a far-left campaign to rename any installations bearing Confederate names.

According to Axios, the six bases in question are: Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Pickett, Virginia; Fort Rucker, Alabama; Fort Lee, Virginia; Fort Benning, Georgia; and Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The name changes come after Joe Biden created a federal Naming Commission, for the sole purpose of changing names of federal facilities, monuments, parks, and other territories that were originally named for Confederate figures; the campaign has been widely criticized as an effort to erase American history in the name of political correctness and “woke” racial justice politics.

North Carolina, North Dakota, Among States Phasing Out Income Tax

January 17, 2023January 16, 2023 Just the News

Americans in search of economic freedom and opportunity are flocking to Florida, Tennessee and Texas, and at least part of the attraction is that these three states, along with six others (Alaska, Nevada, South Dakota, Washington, Wyoming and New Hampshire), don’t levy an income tax.

Other states may soon follow.

“There are 10 states that are in the process of moving their personal income tax to zero,” President of Americans for Tax Reform Grover Norquist said on the John Solomon Reports podcast.

Georgia Set to Receive Part of a Nearly $400 Million Settlement from Google over Location-Tracking Probe

November 15, 2022November 14, 2022 Just the News

Google agreed to a $391.5 million settlement with 40 states after an investigation found that the tech giant participated in questionable location-tracking practices, state attorneys general announced Monday.

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong called it a “historic win for consumers.”

Commentary: America’s Electoral System Is Suffering from a Credibility Crisis

November 14, 2022November 13, 2022 Georgia Star News Staff

Defying all predictions of a photo finish senate race, Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman won 50.3% of the vote to Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz’s 47.3%. The unexpectedly large margin helped avoid a midterm meltdown. But don’t be deceived; that margin masks major electoral system dysfunction that remains unaddressed.

If the margins had been narrower, things might have looked very different. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf last year vetoed a commonsense measure that would have modernized Pennsylvania’s Depression-era voting laws. As a result, the Commonwealth is saddled with a ponderous mail voting system bolted onto a rickety election code that forbids routine practices like voter ID and pre-processing mail ballots. Those policies secure elections and speed tabulations, but were vetoed by Wolf last year.

Analyst: ‘Code Red’ Diesel Supply Shortage in Southeastern States ‘Could Become More of a Challenge’ in Georgia

November 1, 2022November 1, 2022 Admin

A fuel supply and logistics company is warning about diesel shortages across the Southeast United States, issuing an alert on Friday about “rapidly devolving” conditions in North Carolina and six other states.

Mansfield moved to “Alert Level 4” to address market volatility, and “Code Red” in the Southeast, which means the company is now requesting 72 hour notice for deliveries when possible “to ensure fuel and freight can be secured at economical levels.”

Commentary: Democrats Prepare to Lose as U.S. Senate Race in North Carolina Is Too Close to Call

November 1, 2022October 31, 2022 RealClearWire

The 2022 midterms are less than a month away. With Election Day rapidly approaching, races in Arizona, Georgia, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin have taken the spotlight, and according to most pundits, control of the Senate comes down to these five states. Conspicuously, political analysts in the Beltway have all but stripped North Carolina, a purple, perennial swing state, and its Senate race between Congressman Ted Budd and state Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley of its toss up status, and Democrats seem prepared to cede the state to Republicans.

Parent Rips North Carolina School Board for Promoting Graphic Gay Sex Book to Seventh-Graders

October 15, 2022October 14, 2022 Susan Berry, PhD

A mother from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District in North Carolina rebuked the school board and superintendent for allowing 7th graders access to a graphic book that promotes “the ins and outs of gay sex.”

Education investigative journalist Christopher Rufo posted the video to Twitter of the parent reading a section of This Book Is Gay by LGBTQ activist Juno Dawson.

Four Plead Guilty in North Carolina Ballot Fraud Cases

September 28, 2022September 27, 2022 Georgia Star News Staff

Four people in North Carolina have pleaded guilty to misdemeanors for their roles in absentee ballot fraud in a rural part of the state.

The fraud occurred in the 2016 and 2018 elections, and the convictions stemmed from an investigation that in part resulted in a congressional election having to be redone, according to the Associated Press.

Flash Cards Depicting Pregnant Man Used for Teaching Colors in North Carolina Preschool Classroom

June 1, 2022May 31, 2022 Susan Berry, PhD

A North Carolina state representative responded to an email from a constituent alerting her to the use of LGBTQ-themed flash cards, including a card with the depiction of a pregnant man, to teach colors to preschool children in an elementary school in the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS).

Upon receiving an email containing the flash card, apparently from “Progress Pride Flag Rainbow Families Flash Cards,” that depicted a pregnant man,” state Rep. Erin Paré (R-Wake) contacted the principal at Ballantine Elementary School in Wake County, noted a press release from North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland).

Rep. Cawthorn Loses North Carolina GOP House Primary, Concedes Race

May 18, 2022 Georgia Star News Staff

North Carolina GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn on Tuesday night lost his bid for a second House term.

He conceded the race at about 10:25 p.m. Eastern time, according to several news outlets.

Thales College to Welcome Inaugural Class of Undergraduates This Fall at North Carolina Campus

May 4, 2022May 3, 2022 Susan Berry, PhD

There’s a new private college in town – one with affordable tuition, accelerated degrees, and classical liberal arts and career-ready majors – and it will be welcoming its inaugural undergraduate students this fall at its new Wake Forest, North Carolina campus.

Thales College, founded by Bob Luddy, who also created the network of affordable private K-12 schools known as Thales Academy, said in an announcement the college’s students “will enjoy personalized mentorship and teaching from top-notch faculty, and they will benefit from our new campus home in Wake Forest, North Carolina, with Raleigh’s vast opportunities and amenities at their fingertips.”

Thales Academy Opens First Rural County School in Pittsboro, North Carolina

April 14, 2022April 13, 2022 Susan Berry, PhD

Thales Academy opened the doors of its brand new building in Pittsboro, North Carolina, Monday, as about 100 students from the academy’s Cary campus moved to the new facility in rural Chatham County.

“Chatham is the first time that Thales has been in a rural county,” Bob Luddy, the founder and chairman of Thales Academy, told The Star News Network. “So, my thought was having a facility of that quality in a rural county that’s a private initiative is going to change the way people think about K-12 education.”

North Carolina Congressman Introduces Bill to Restart Building Border Wall

April 12, 2022April 11, 2022 Georgia Star News Staff

A North Carolina congressman has introduced a bill to require the federal government to restart rebuilding the border wall, which was halted by President Joe Biden.

U.S. Rep. Ted Budd, R-NC, introduced the Build the Wall Now Act, which removes all legal impediments to building the border wall. Among other things, it unlocks an additional $2.1 billion that was appropriated in fiscal years 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 that weren’t spent.

Republicans Look to Pick Up Open Seat in North Carolina

March 28, 2022March 27, 2022 Aaron Gulbransen

Republicans are looking to pick up North Carolina’s open First Congressional district seat in November.

Democrat incumbent U.S. Representative G. K. Butterfield (NC-1) has announced his retirement, leaving the seat open.

Two Key Senate Races Moved in GOP’s Direction by Noted Election Handicapper Cook Political Report

February 28, 2022 Admin

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report on Friday shifted its forecasts for two 2022 Senate races in the direction of Republicans.

The report moved the North Carolina Senate race to replace retiring GOP Sen. Richard Burr moved from “toss-up” to “likely Republican.” And moved the Colorado Senate race, in which Democrat Sen. Michael Bennet is seeking a third term, from “solid Democrat” into the “likely Democrat” catagory.

The North Carolina GOP primary is now a competitive race between former President Trump-endorsed Rep. Ted Budd, former Gov. Pat McCrory and former Rep. Mark Walker, with (with Budd and McCrory currently deadlocked).

Republicans Notch Big Win as Court Upholds North Carolina’s New Congressional Map

January 13, 2022January 12, 2022 Georgia Star News Staff

A North Carolina court Tuesday upheld the state’s new congressional and state legislative lines, rejecting claims from Democratic groups that it was an unfair gerrymander giving Republicans in the state a big win.

While the case may be appealed, the decision as it stands now could impact the 2022 midterm elections, where Republicans are seeking to reverse Democrats’ narrow House majority. North Carolina is gaining a 14th seat, and the new congressional lines could give Republicans an 11-3 advantage, up from the 8-5 split now.

The Democrats’ lawyers argued during last week’s trial that the map chosen was an extreme outlier that Republicans picked solely for political gain. Republicans, however, said that the new lines were drawn legally and that the court was incapable of determining whether it was too partisan to stand.

Trump Makes Deal to Clear North Carolina GOP Senate Field So His Candidate Can Win

December 7, 2021December 6, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Former President Donald Trump struck a deal this past weekend to clear the crowded field in North Carolina’s Republican primary for Senate for Rep. Ted Budd, his preferred candidate, a source close with Budd and familiar with the meeting confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Budd, who joined the fray in April and received Trump’s endorsement two months later, has failed to emerge as the frontrunner in a GOP primary that includes former Gov. Pat McCrory and former Rep. Mark Walker. One recent poll conducted for the conservative group Club for Growth, which has also backed Budd, found the congressman slightly behind McCrory even as Budd’s popularity rose in recent months, while Walker remained in a distant third.

An internal poll from McCrory’s campaign, however, showed the former governor up by 15 points.

North Carolina Adopts New Congressional Map That Favors Republicans

November 7, 2021November 6, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The North Carolina General Assembly on Thursday finalized the state’s new U.S. House map that gives Republicans a distinct advantage over Democrats.

The map creates 10 safe Republican seats, three safe Democratic seats and one competitive seat, up from the current 8-5 map now. North Carolina is the only state where the legislature has full control over the redistricting process, meaning that the new lines can skirt what would be an all but certain veto from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and go into effect.

North Carolina School District to Discipline Educators Who Teach America is Racist

October 5, 2021October 4, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

A North Carolina county school board has passed a policy that will discipline or fire teachers who undermine the U.S. Constitution, tell students that American historical figures weren’t heroes or portray racism as systemic in America.

The vote Friday by the Johnston County school board is part of a larger campaign to stamp out critical race theory from American schools.

North Carolina Senate Votes to Ban Critical Race Theory Concepts in Schools

August 30, 2021August 30, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The North Carolina Senate has approved legislation that prohibits K-12 schools from promoting more than a dozen concepts about racism and discrimination.

The legislation bans school districts from pushing critical race theory, which is centered around the idea that race is a social construct used to oppress people of color. The theory, developed by legal scholars in the late 1970s and 1980s, concludes racism in America is systemic.

Memo Reveals University of North Carolina Plan to Sideline ‘Diversity of Thought’ Ahead of Nikole Hannah-Jones Appointment

August 10, 2021August 9, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

A memo obtained by Campus Reform reveals that the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media considered “diversity of thought” to be in conflict with its efforts to achieve social justice objectives.

Hussman Dean Susan King wrote the August 1, 2020 memo to university Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz. She stated, “There is a fundamental conflict between efforts to promote racial equity and understandings of structural racism, and efforts to promote diversity of thought. These two things cannot sit side by side without coming into conflict.”

King wrote the memo in anticipation of Nikole Hannah-Jones joining the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill faculty and teaching a class based on the “1619 Project.”

Davidson College Spends $1 Million Telling White Churches How Not to Be Racist

July 20, 2021July 19, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina will spend $1 million teaching “white dominant” churches how to strive for racial equity.

According to Davidson’s official news service, the college received a $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., a private philanthropic foundation that donates to race and faith-related charitable projects.

The partnership with Davidson is a fraction of the $93 million in grants the Lilly Endowment will offer throughout North America via its Thriving Congregations Initiative.

North Carolina GOP Adds A Ban on Teaching the U.S. ‘Should Be Violently Overthrown’ to Anti-CRT Bill

July 15, 2021July 14, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Phil Berger in front of North Carolina State Capitol

North Carolina Republicans amended a bill Wednesday that would prevent educators from teaching critical race theory in the state’s public schools, adding five provisions, according to an updated copy of the legislation obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Republican Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger added five provisions to House Bill 324 following worries that North Carolina students would be taught CRT in schools, the AP reported.

Trump Endorses Ted Budd for NC Senate Seat after Daughter-In-Law Lara Opts Against Running

June 7, 2021June 6, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Former President Donald Trump on Saturday night offered his “complete and total endorsement” of Congressman Ted Budd for next year’s Senate race in North Carolina after his daughter-in-law Lara ended months of speculation by declining to run for the seat.

The Trumps made the surprise announcement at the state’s Republican convention. The former president said Budd had found out about the endorsement just minutes before the speech began.

Lara Trump said she was “saying no for now” to running for Senate in the state where she grew up but left open the possibility for the future. She said having two young children, ages 1 and 3, was a major consideration in her decision

Census Bureau Announces States in the South, Northwest Pick up Congressional Seats

April 27, 2021April 26, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Texas and Florida are slated to gain congressional seats during the decennial redistricting process, while California and New York are set to each lose one, the U.S. Census Bureau announced Monday.

The U.S. Census Bureau released the decennial state population and congressional apportionment totals Monday, outlining how many districts each state will have for the next decade. The data also determines how many Electoral College votes each state will have through 2032, and allocates how federal money is distributed to each state for schools, roads and other public projects.

The release was originally scheduled for December, but faced delays due to the coronavirus pandemic and the Trump administration’s unsuccessful effort to exclude non-citizens from the count.

Public Notice to GOP Senators, Congressman: State Parties Will Rebuke You for Disloyal Votes Against Trump

February 15, 2021February 14, 2021 Neil W. McCabe

Republican lawmakers, who voted to impeach or convict President Donald J. Trump, earned rebukes from their home states – a new trend of holding GOP legislators accountable for their actions in Washington.

“Wrong vote, Sen. Burr,” Tweeted former congressman Mark Warner. “I am running to replace Richard Burr because North Carolina needs a true conservative champion as their next senator.”

Madison Cawthorn Says He’s Contesting the Election, Will Fund Primary Opponents Against GOP Reps Who Don’t Speak Out

December 26, 2020December 25, 2020 Georgia Star News Staff

Incoming Republican North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn said at a Turning Point USA conference Monday that he will contest the election and fund primary opponents against GOP members not publicly urging “for fair, free and just elections.”

Cawthorn said the Constitution says “that state legislators are the only body that can change election law within their own states,” video of the conference shows. He said numerous governors and state secretaries in swing states have violated the law.

Tillis Wins After Cunningham Concedes Race

November 10, 2020November 10, 2020 Georgia Star News Staff

Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham conceded the North Carolina Senate seat to Republican incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis Tuesday.

Cunningham conceded the race Tuesday, a week after Election Day, after Decision Desk HQ projected that the 47-year-old challenger had lost the race for the only North Carolina Senate seat up for grabs in 2020.

North Carolina Lawmakers Demand State Board of Elections Release Data on How Many Ballots are Outstanding

November 9, 2020November 8, 2020 Jason M. Reynolds

North Carolina legislative leaders are demanding that the State Board of Elections release data on total outstanding ballots to provide transparency.

The co-chairs of the State Senate and House Elections Committees sent the demand in a letter Friday to Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, which is controlled by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. The announcement was made by N.C. Senate Leader Phil Berger.

TRUMPDATE: Latest from the Team Trump Virginia Campaign for November 6

November 6, 2020November 5, 2020 Jordan Bondurant

Welcome to the Friday edition of our daily Virginia Trump campaign update! We will provide our readers with daily updates on the Trump Virginia campaign from today to November 3 (and after…if need be!).

We are in Election Day +2, and the nation is currently still awaiting results in several key battleground states.

Early Vote Count Passes 2016 Total with 11 Days Until the Election

October 24, 2020October 23, 2020 Georgia Star News Staff

Over 50 million Americans have voted early with 11 days remaining until Election Day, far surpassing the 47 million early ballots cast in 2016.

While nearly every state has begun early voting, Texas, California and Florida lead the way, with 6.3 million, 5.8 million and 4.2 million ballots cast in each state, according to the U.S. Elections Project.

Appeals Court Rules North Carolina Absentee Ballots Postmarked By November 3 Are Valid If They Arrive Before November 12

October 22, 2020October 21, 2020 Georgia Star News Staff

The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the North Carolina State Board of Elections on Tuesday, allowing it to count absentee ballots that arrive before Nov. 12 as long as they were postmarked by Nov. 3.

“All ballots must still be mailed on or before Election Day,” said Circuit Judge James Wynn in the court’s 12-3 ruling. “The change is simply an extension from three to nine days after Election Day for a timely ballot to be received and counted. That is all.”

Federal Prompts for Gov. Bill Lee to Issue Statewide Mask Mandate Begs Question of Who Is Behind the Idea

October 18, 2020 Jason M. Reynolds

Tennessee is ranked fourth in the nation for COVID deaths per 100,000 people, WUOT reports, citing the White House Coronavirus Task Force’s red zone report, which calls for Gov. Bill Lee to implement a statewide mask mandate.

The controversial report is from earlier this month. The task force issues frequent red zone reports.

Trump Campaign Sues to Block Mail-in Expansions in North Carolina

September 29, 2020September 28, 2020 Georgia Star News Staff

President Donald Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee on Saturday filed suit to prevent North Carolina officials from adopting measures that would allow a greater number of absentee ballots to be counted in November.

The State Board of Elections said Tuesday that it would allow November ballots with incomplete information to be fixed without requiring the voter to redo their ballot, leading Republicans to file suit arguing that the system would lead to “fraud, coercion, theft, and otherwise illegitimate voting,” the Associated Press reported.

Free Speech Group Warns University After it Allowed Black Lives Matter Protest but Banned Other Gatherings

September 29, 2020September 28, 2020 Georgia Star News Staff

A free speech advocacy group has sent two letters to East Carolina University after the public college banned gatherings of more than 50 students, but allowed a Black Lives Matter protest on campus.

Southeastern Legal Foundation sent a letter to the North Carolina public university on September 16 seeking information on its enforcement of its coronavirus policies. After receiving no response, the public interest law group sent a follow-up letter on September 24.