VOLUME 5 ISSUE 33
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WWW.NSJONLINE.COM |
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2020
the Wednesday
NEWS BRIEFING
192,644 COVID-19 patients presumed to be recovered in NC Raleigh The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services said that over 192,000 COVID-19 patients are presumed to have recovered from the virus as of Oct. 5. NCDHHS estimates a median time to recovery of 14 days for non-fatal COVID-19 cases who were not hospitalized and 28 days for hospitalized cases. Estimates are used since patientspecific data on the actual recovery time to resolution of symptoms are not available for all COVID-19 cases. NSJ STAFF
NC voter registration deadline is Oct. 9 Raleigh Friday marks the deadline to register to vote in North Carolina. Voters must be registered 25 days before an election. The county board of elections must receive an application by this date. If an application is received after the deadline, it will be considered timely if it is postmarked on or before the voter registration deadline. Otherwise, the application will not be processed until after the election. Those who register through the Division of Motor Vehicles or another voter registration agency will have applications deemed timely if it is received by that agency at least 25 days before the election. NSJ STAFF
UNC Charlotte wastewater sampling stops potential virus outbreak Charlotte As a result of the detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus during routine residence hall wastewater sampling on Oct. 2, UNC Charlotte says they completed 155 COVID-19 tests of students and staff in the impacted area. Based on the tests, the positivity rate was less than 1%, and no clusters were found. Anyone who tested positive is now in isolation receiving proper medical care. On Saturday, the university’s contact-tracing team notified close contacts of those with positive test results to begin an appropriate quarantine period. Research shows it is likely the disease presents in wastewater several days before the onset of symptoms, assisting the university in preventing outbreaks of the virus. NSJ STAFF
North Carolina Troopers Association endorses President Trump Raleigh The North Carolina Troopers Association announced its official endorsement of President Donald Trump for re-election. “In the face of growing calls to ‘defund the police,’ it is more important than ever that we have a President who understands the fundamental importance of law-and-order. President Trump has been a consistent champion for law enforcement throughout his first term, supporting our officers at every turn and fighting to ensure we have the resources we need to protect our communities,” said Danny Jenkins, president of the North Carolina Troopers Association and executive board member of the National Troopers Coalition, which has also endorsed President Trump. NSJ STAFF
Nearly 40 nations criticize China’s human rights policies United Nations Nearly 40 mainly Western countries criticized China’s treatment of minority groups, especially in Xinjiang and Tibet, on Tuesday and expressed grave concern at the impact of its new national security law on human rights in Hong Kong. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ALEX BRANDON | AP PHOTOS
President Donald Trump stands on the balcony outside of the Blue Room as he returns to the White House Monday, Oct. 5, 2020, after leaving Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md.
NORTH
STATE
JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION
NC at center of black conservative rise Robinson is a Black Conservative Voices board member, a GOP precinct chair and original Blexit NC director
backgrounds. She used her own upbringing, being raised on the 13th floor of a housing project in Brooklyn, New York, where she routinely witnessed gang violence, as an example. One thing black Americans tend to have in common, she By David Larson said, regardless of whether they North State Journal grew up middle class or working RALEIGH — Last week pro- class, in New York or in North filed the life of Clarence Hen- Carolina, in an urban or a rural derson, a black conservative area, is that being a Democrat is who was a participant in the simply part of who you are. “I don’t think you even identi1960 Greensboro Woolworth’s sit-in and, more recently, a fy the question before you idenspeaker at the 2020 Republi- tify as a Democrat,” Robinson said. “It makes becan National Convening a black person tion. For much of his and anything othlife, being a member of er than a Democrat the black community “It was a mind tilt for everyand having his political body involved. And views was an “oddity,” something if you become a Rebut now, a new genera- about this publican, the idea tion of black conservabecomes, you are a tives has emerged. And election that race traitor. You are a lot of the energy for brought us siding with the enethis movement is com- all out. We my, so to speak.” ing from Henderson’s But Robinson behome state of North just met gan to question this Carolina. each other. identity and the asAccording to Dansumptions behind ielle Robinson, a black One person it while in college. conservative leader just met this Since she believed who lives in Raleigh, college was a place a shift happened in other person, for “healthy quesjust the last year. Af- and we just tioning,” she beter years of individual started gan to apply some of black Republicans votwhat she was learning for their candidates building this ing, specifically in of choice but not being community. economics classes, to too vocal in their communities, many began It just literally her own upbringing and community. to emerge and connect organically While Robinson with one another. said she didn’t imRobinson is a Wake grew.” mediately start votCounty GOP precinct ing Republican, chair; the original di- Danielle she does rememrector of Blexit NC, a Robinson, ber thinking to hergroup which calls for self, “Hmm, what if a “black exit” from the NC black I’m not a Democrat?” Democratic Party; and conservative And as she found a board member of the leader herself increasingNorth Carolina Republy moving away from lican Party’s Black ConDemocratic views servative Voices Coalition. She told NSJ that despite and towards Republican views, stereotypes of black conser- it became clear that this was not vatives being from the middle understood or welcome among and upper classes, black conservatives have a wide variety of See CONSERVATIVES, page A2
Trump back at White House following stay at Walter Reed By Zeke Miller The Associated Press WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump returned to the White House Monday evening following a stay at Water Reed National Military Medical Center for a positive diagnosis of COVID-19. Anxious to project strength just four weeks from Election Day, Trump tweeted Tuesday morning that he is planning to attend next week’s debate with Democrat Joe Biden in Miami. “It will be great!” he said. In a letter, Trump’s doctor, Navy Cmdr. Sean Conley, said Trump had a “restful” night at the White House and that on Tuesday “he reports no symptoms.” On Monday afternoon, shortly before his departure from Walter Reed, Conley offered that the presi-
dent would not be fully “out of the woods” for another week. Trump returned to the White House Monday night aboard Marine One, climbing the South Portico steps and giving a double thumbs-up from the terrace, where aides had arranged American flags for the sunset occasion. In a video released later, Trump said, “Don’t be afraid of it. You’re going to beat it. We have the best medical equipment; we have the best medicines.” On Tuesday, Trump also returned to his previous comparisons of COVID-19 to the seasonal flu. “Many people every year, sometimes over 100,000, and despite the Vaccine, die from the Flu,” he tweeted. “Are we going to close See TRUMP, page A3
U.S. Education Secretary DeVos attends roundtable in Raleigh Roundtable focused on Opportunity Scholarship Program By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — Parents, students, lawmakers and non-profit leaders came together to meet with U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for a roundtable discussion of North Carolina’s Opportunity Scholarship Program and the state’s other school choice options. The North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA) oversees a number of grants, such as the Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP), which provides $4,200 a year to eligible low-income students for tuition at the participating private school of their choice. The state also has two options for students with special needs — the Children with Disabilities Grant and the Education Savings Account. The Children with Disabilities Grant Program gives up to $8,000 per year, and the Education Savings Account (ESA) Program provides up to $9,000 per year to students who enroll in a participating nonpublic school, including home school. The roundtable discussion was hosted by Parents for Educational Freedom NC (PEFNC), a statewide organization that supports greater educational options and equal access to those options through parental school choice.
PEFNC President Mike Long’s opening remarks noted that one in five students in North Carolina have chosen a school outside of the traditional public school system, See DEVOS, page A2