VOLUME 6 ISSUE 16
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WWW.NSJONLINE.COM
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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 2021
the Wednesday
NEWS BRIEFING
Cooper, Berger offer divergent views of state surplus forecast Raleigh A June 15 consensus revenue forecast shows that N.C. coffers are expected to have a surplus of over $6.5 billion by 2023, not including funds from the American Rescue Plan. “These new numbers show unprecedented resources are now available to make transformational investments for our state. Even though the Republican Senate bill giving big tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy is bad policy, we have enough money to pass my entire budget with more money still remaining,” said Gov. Roy Cooper. Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden) countered with a succinct statement, saying, “A huge surplus does not mean we’re spending too little. It means we’re taxing too much.” NSJ STAFF
Senate votes to confirm Biden pick for DC appeals court Washington, D.C. The U.S. Senate confirmed the first appellate court judge of President Joe Biden’s tenure, elevating a judge likely on the president’s short list should a Supreme Court vacancy arise. Senators voted 53-44 to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve on the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the nation’s second most powerful court. She replaces Merrick Garland, who vacated the seat to become Biden’s attorney general. Biden has promised to name a black woman to the Supreme Court and many view Jackson as a leading contender. Last week, the Senate confirmed the nation’s first federal Muslim judge, Zahid Quraishi, to serve as a district court judge in New Jersey.
PHOTO VIA N.C. DEPT. OF PUBLIC SAFETY
Gov. Roy Cooper briefs media at the Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh.
NORTH
STATE
JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
U.S. Rep. Rouzer warns EPA on water rule Washington, D.C. U.S. Rep. David Rouzer (R-07) responded to the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of the Army’s announcement of their intent to revise the definition of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act. The Obamaera regulation, which had authority to subject bodies of water of any size such as ponds, ditches, and puddles to federal regulation, was rescinded during the Trump administration. “I am greatly concerned about the impact any WOTUS rule change would have on southeastern North Carolina,” said Rouzer. “As the EPA works to revise the WOTUS rule, they must remain within their Constitutional authority and prevent overly burdensome regulations that would negatively impact our farm families, small businesses, local governments and citizens.” NSJ STAFF
Fla. governor signs bill requiring moment for school prayer Tallahassee, Fla. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law that would require public schools in his state to set aside at least one minute of silence for children to meditate or pray. “It’s important to provide each student the ability, every day, to be able to reflect and to be able to pray as they see fit,” DeSantis said. “The idea that you can just push God out of every institution, and be successful — I’m sorry, our founding fathers did not believe that.” THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Charlotte talk-radio host Brett Winterble links past, present during Rush Limbaugh Show By Matt Mercer North State Journal CHARLOTTE — WBT radio’s afternoon host Brett Winterble said he learned a lot about business, life and more in his near decade working for the late Rush Limbaugh – and the opportunity to honor his late friend pulling double duty and guest hosting the show was an easy decision. Since Limbaugh died of stagefour lung cancer in February, his eponymous radio show has continued with rotating “guide hosts,” who weave together their own take on the current day’s news along with monologues and phone calls from over 30 years of his legendary career. The current format has given Winterble, who hosts the 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. afternoon slot on the venerable Charlotte station, a national audience after years spent learning with the team behind Limbaugh. “I started working with the show through their syndicator, a company called ESM Media, back in 1995. I worked in the back end with the office in advertising and traffic and worked my way up. I eventually went to Premiere Radio Networks in Los Angeles in 1998,” said Winterble. After gaining valuable experience, he moved to New York to work directly with Limbaugh on his show. “Probably the fall of 1999, I started screening. I was in that capacity from ‘99 until 2006. That was an experience, every day, working with the show, helping him with whatever he needed, and we became tremendous friends,” he said. “It’s a rarity; people don’t leave that show. But I wanted to get back out to the west coast and I wanted to get my own show. And I left on extremely good terms with Rush. It was really a formative decade.” Returning to Los Angeles, Winterble worked for Michael Reagan, son of the 40th President. He began working as a substitute host
and launched a podcast in early 2007 focused on the War on Terror. Winterble says the podcast started as 15-minute episodes and grew to fill three hours, focusing on national security and terrorism, but eventually moving into domestic news. He also would pivot to sports talk at a famous Southern California station, KSWV, where he talked a lot of NBA basketball since the station was the flagship of the Los Angeles Clippers. He added that he thinks sports talk is the much harder end of talk radio. “You’ve got to be aware of so much, and with specificity, and it’s a much faster-paced environment,” he said. “It’s one of those funny things, you know; the escape you get from the news when you get home at night and get to watch some ball games, but when you have to watch as part of your job, there is no escape. I’m not going to sit down and relax watching Sean Hannity at night,” he quips, “So sports is an escape that goes away.” In 2015, Winterble took a time slot in San Diego full time before making the move to Charlotte five years later. Taking his turn as guide host has helped connect Winterble to memorable moments in the past, even if, he admits, he doesn’t know who came up with the idea. He says he talked to folks from the show around New Year’s week; and after Limbaugh passed, he agreed to host the show. “I said, okay. What does that look like? Because when you fill in, you’re doing news of the day. This meant integrating content and I think I was a valuable addition to the effort,” Winterble says. “The fact I had been there for so many of those years, especially in the early 2000s, I had a big reservoir of memory and knowledge, of bits and riffs and things he talked about.” Winterble said he was able to See WINTERBLE, page A8
Gov. Cooper statement addresses ‘state of emergency’ 6 times but not lawmaker questions By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper used the term “state of emergency” six times in his recent press release announcing another extension of various COVID-related restrictions, but he has yet to answer media and lawmaker questions about that continued state of emergency. The governor’s June 11 press release announced Executive Order 220, which extends state eviction prohibitions, unemployment insurance “flexibility,” and the mask
mandate for “certain settings such as public transportation, schools, health care and childcare facilities, in accordance with CDC guidance.” Executive Order 220 won’t expire until July 30 at 5 p.m. At least one district isn’t waiting for the school mask mandate to be changed. The Harnett County Public Schools board voted last week to drop the mask requirement for all students. It is unclear what action Cooper will take. Harnett board’s vote to drop See COOPER, page A2
Former Gov. Pat McCrory says he has the experience to be the state’s next US senator McCrory says he isn’t a Washington insider; will solve problems and make tough decisions By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — Former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory spoke to North State Journal about the 2022 U.S. Senate race and the experience he brings to the table as a candidate. “We’ve got a great campaign team we’re working with. We’ve got a great team and we’re going to win,” McCrory told North State Journal. At last count, 11 Republicans, nine Democrats and three Independents have officially announced their intent to run in the 2022 race. North State Journal asked McCrory what sets him apart from the field of candidates and why he decided to run. “Well, to quote Tina Turner, we’re 'simply the best' to represent North Carolina based upon accomplishment, based upon vision, based upon conservative record of achievement and based upon leadership,” McCrory said. "There's no one that comes close in the state of North Carolina running for the seat who's actually kept his promises when running for elective office, whether it be a city council office, or mayor's office, or the governor's. Also, I've always kept my promise and did what I said I was going to do. And I don't think any other politician could say that, based upon our track record of success.” The race is set to be a national-
ly watched race. McCrory said the future of the U.S. Supreme Court See MCCRORY, page A2