VOLUME 8 ISSUE 46
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WWW.NSJONLINE.COM
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2024
the
BRIEF this week
Buc-ees overcomes opposition and receives approval for NC location Mebane Buc-ees, a Texas-based gas station and cultural phenomenon, received approval late Monday for a location along Interstates 85 and 40 in Alamance County between Greensboro and Raleigh. The Mebane City Council voted to approve a rezoning request following an eight-hour public meeting. Site plans for the location call for a 75,000 square-foot building on 32 acres with up to 120 fuel pumps. In December 2023, the Mebane Planning and Zoning Board rejected the proposal. However, the city council ultimately approved the project. The company currently has 58 locations across the southeast with the closest for most NC residents in Florence, S.C. NSJ STAFF
AP PHOTO
Park Service retracts decision to take down William Penn statue at Philadelphia historical site Harrisburg, Pa. The National Park Service withdrew a proposal to take down a statue of William Penn at a Philadelphia historical site as part of a renovation that touched off a torrent of criticism over the legacy of the man who founded the province of Pennsylvania. In a brief statement, Independence National Historical Park said it has withdrawn the proposal it had announced quietly before the weekend about a wider renovation of Welcome Park. Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro took credit for the park service’s reversal, saying in a statement that “my team has been in contact with the Biden Administration throughout the day to correct this decision.” THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pope Francis calls for a universal ban on surrogacy Rome Pope Francis called Monday for a universal ban on what he called the “despicable” practice of surrogate motherhood, as he included the “commercialization” of pregnancy in an annual speech listing threats to global peace and human dignity. In a foreign policy address to ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, Francis lamented that 2024 had dawned at a time in which peace is “increasingly threatened, weakened and in some part lost.” Vatican teaching opposes in vitro fertilization, and Francis has previously voiced the Roman Catholic Church’s opposition to surrogacy, or what he has called “uterus for rent.” THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Migrants line up at the U.S. border wall after being detained by U.S. immigration authorities, seen from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023.
How are non-U.S. citizen migrants traveling across the country? By A.P. Dillon North State Journal
Chief judge of NC Court of Appeals replaced Judge Chris Dillon replaced Judge Donna Stroud earlier this year By A.P. Dillon North State Journal
courts have rotating chief positions to spread out the administrative burden charges such as the federal courts,” Stroud said when asked if Newby had given a reason for the change. She later added that a few states do have rotating chief judge positions. The chief justice of the state Supreme Court was given the authority to appoint chief judges, including for the Court of Appeals, when the high court was established in 1967. Traditionally, this leadership position has been bestowed upon the judge with the greatest seniority, which would be Stroud. Dillon is the second-most senior judge on the court behind Stroud. Former Chief Justices Mark Martin and Cheri Beasley had both appointed numerous chief judges throughout the state’s court system during their tenures. Newby had also appointed several chief judges, including Margaret Eagles as chief district court judge for Wake County in December 2023 and Jimmy L. Myers as chief district court judge for Davie and
RALEIGH — The North Carolina Court of Appeals has a new chief judge this year after Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby appointed Judge Chris Dillon to replace current Chief Judge Donna Stroud. Stroud told North State Journal in an interview that she had no prior indication she was going to be replaced and that Newby had given her the news last year on Dec. 19. Like Newby, both Stroud and Dillon are Republicans. Stroud was named chief judge on the appeals court in late 2020 by former NC Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley, a Democrat. Stroud officially assumed that role on Jan. 1, 2021, and was reinvested as chief judge on Jan. 9, 2023. Stroud has served on the court since 2006. Her current eight-year term will expire in December 2031. “He mentioned that some See STROUD, page A2
State Treasurer and OSHR spar over changes to NCFlex program By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — State Treasurer Dale Folwell told reporters in late December he had rejected a “stealth effort” by the N.C. Office of State Human Resources (OSHR) to change the NCFlex provision that is part of the health ben-
efits offered to thousands of teachers and public employees statewide. NCFlex is a state-sponsored benefits program providing supplemental benefits to eligible employees. The benefits include Flexible Spending Accounts for health care and See NCFLEX, page A8
ny gave similar information to North State Journal. Most of these organizaRALEIGH — In recent tions are receiving millions, months, videos and images of and sometimes billions, in remigrants boarding U.S. com- lated taxpayer-funded grants mercial airline flights have through various programs unflooded social media. der federal agencies such as This month, North State the Department of Homeland Journal reported on an Ameri- Security (DHS) or the Departcan Airlines flight out of Arizo- ment of Health and Human na carrying non-U.S. citizens Services (HHS). The grants to Charlotte’s Douglas Inter- can pay for a wide variety of national Airport. things for a migrant, Within hours of the including clothes, article being posted cell phones, food, online, a General Asshelter, and transsembly staffer who DHS was portation as well as wished to remain estimated to legal services that anonymous relayed specifically serve mia similar encounter be providing grants. at an Arizona airport “$363.8 According to the while returning from million of immigration watcha conference on Dec. dog group Federataxpayer 1, 2023. tion for American Per the staffer, the dollars” Immigration Reindividuals all apform (FAIR), DHS peared to have brand- through was estimated to be new backpacks and programs providing “$363.8 were carrying plasmillion of taxpayer tic bags with what giving grants dollars” through prolooked like “snacks.” in Fiscal grams giving grants The staffer said most Year 2023 in Fiscal Year 2023 to of them were holdNGOs and nonprofing some kind of pa- to NGOs and its to handle migrant perwork and many of nonprofits arrivals. FAIR also them had seemingly noted that “it’s unnew-looking smart- to handle clear how the money phones. is actually spent by migrant The staffer also the NGOs and local told North State arrivals. governments.” Journal they spoked Some of the largwith a TSA official est entities involved about an area that was “roped in migrant travel and facilioff” with a number of individu- tations are the American Red als that appeared to be of His- Cross, Church World Services, panic descent. The TSA offi- and Catholic Charities USA. cial confirmed to the staffer The American Red Cross the individuals were all mi- works with various federalgrants who had crossed the ly funded migrant programs, border and were going to be including the Federal Emersent through a special screen- gency Management Agency’s ing line. (FEMA) Food and Shelter ProThe General Assembly staff- gram. That program received er’s account lines up with im- $350 million from DHS in ages of signs for special mi- February 2023. grant-only screening lines In its 2022 financial statecropping up on social media ments, Church World Serplatforms and as reported by vices reported over 76% of Breitbart Texas. its revenue, more than $114.6 What group or groups are million, was from “governfunding flight activities is still ment support.” For that same unclear, but assistance is likely year, Catholic Charities USA coming from one of hundreds of non-governmental organi- See MIGRANTS, page A2 zations (NGOs) and nonprofits working with migrant travel and resettlement. Commercial airlines have indicated the tickets for the flights are arranged and paid for by an NGO or a nonprofit that is working with migrants. A commercial airline compa$2.00