VOLUME 6 ISSUE 23
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WWW.NSJONLINE.COM
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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2021
the Wednesday
NEWS BRIEFING
Stein leads state in ’21 fundraising Raleigh Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein raised over $875,000 in the first six months of 2021, boosting his standing before a widely expected run for governor in 2024. Stein has over $1 million in cash on hand including $500,000 in personal loans to his campaign account. Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson was the top Republican fundraiser, pulling in $500,000 including a large number of small-dollar donors. NSJ STAFF
Pro-Biden groups to spend $100 million on August ad blitz Washington, D.C. An array of progressive and pro-White House groups plans to spend nearly $100 million to promote President Joe Biden’s agenda over the next month to pressure Congress while lawmakers are on their August recess. The push, coupled with a wave of travel by the president’s top surrogates, is meant to promote and secure passage of Biden’s two-track infrastructure plan. An outside coalition of progressive organizations launched a war room and is planning to host over 1,000 events and actions over the next six weeks. “Progressive groups are going on the offense as we lead into August recess,” said Danielle Melfi, executive director of Building Back Together, an outside group supporting the president. Biden will depart Washington next week for a vacation in Delaware. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Record number of NC Cash claims paid Raleigh The Unclaimed Property Division of the Department of State Treasurer announced that it had exceeded 125,000 claims paid amounting to almost $70.5 million during the 2021 fiscal year. Both the number of claims paid, and the total amount claimed, represent a historical record for UPD. “It’s amazing what NCCash has accomplished over the past year,” State Treasurer Dale Folwell said. “Let’s remember that this incredible performance was done during a difficult time dealing with the challenges surrounding the pandemic.” In 2020, the division paid out 56,787 claims valued at $39,900,902. In 2021, claims paid were 125,134 for $70,447,815. That represents a 120% increase in the number of claims paid and a 77% increase in the dollar amount. The Treasurer’s office encourages all North Carolinians to go to NCCash. com website and search for free. NSJ STAFF
Reese Witherspoon sells Hello Sunshine, joins new company Nashville, Tenn. Reese Witherspoon is selling the media company she founded to a newly formed company backed by private equity firm Blackstone Group. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but The Wall Street Journal reported that the deal was worth about $900 million. Witherspoon, known for her roles in films such as “Legally Blonde” and “Walk the Line,” created Hello Sunshine in 2016. She will continue to oversee its day-to-day operations alongside the existing senior management team. Hello Sunshine, which focuses on putting women at the center of its stories, creates television shows, films, podcasts, and digital series — including “Big Little Lies,” “The Morning Show,” and “Little Fires Everywhere.” THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WALT UNKS/WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL VIA AP
Gov. Roy Cooper talks with Carol and Carl Armano as they wait in line to get COVID-19 vaccinations at the Forsyth County Health Department in Winston-Salem.
NORTH
STATE
JOURNaL
GOV. COOPER'S LATEST COVID ORDER
Government workers required to get vaccine or face weekly testing, masking Order also pushes, but does not mandate, increased masking, vaccines statewide By David Larson North State Journal
Federal unemployment subsidy will end next month Scheduled to end on Sept. 6, the added federal benefits for the unemployed are competing with RALEIGH — At the Aug. 3 private employers — impacting nearly every industry meeting of the North in North Carolina. Carolina Council of Already, 25 states State, Gov. Roy Coohave ended the exper indicated that tended benefits, a state unemployment Every business move the Generbenefits will return to owner — no al Assembly undernormal levels followmatter their took with the pasing the end of the fedsage of Senate Bill 116 eral unemployment race, creed, subsidy. color or political on June 24. Cooper, though, vetoed the State Treasurbill on July 2. er Dale Folwell made affiliation — is In a veto message, an impassioned plea asking how we Cooper said, “The in comments at the federal help that this meeting, detailing the can continue bill cuts off will only effect that the extend- to pay into a last a few more weeks ed benefits are consystem that and it supplements tinuing to have on North Carolina’s state employers across the forces us to benefits. Prematurely state. compete with stopping these bene“Every business owner — no matter federal benefits fits hurts our state.” Responding to their race, creed, col- by taxing Cooper’s then-veto, or or political affiliastate Sen. Chuck Edtion — is asking how people who wards (R-Henderson) we can continue to are working, said, “It’s a shame to pay into a system that and then using see Gov. Cooper inforces us to compete centivize people not with federal benefits the money to work instead of adby taxing people who for those who dressing our state’s are working, and then severe labor shortage. using the money for don’t” Thousands of jobs are those who don’t,” Folwaiting to be filled well said. “The poli- State Treasurer but this veto ensures cy is no longer about that ‘Help Wanted’ compassion and gen- Dale Folwell signs will remain up erosity, but justice for months to come.” and certainty. At the The NC Chamber also supend of the day, employers across the state who have suffered for ported SB 116, with president over a year during COVID can- and CEO Gary Salamido saying not operate without employees. We’re in an employment crisis.” See SUBSIDY, page A2 By Matt Mercer North State Journal
Children stopped at border likely hit record-high in July The Associated Press SAN DIEGO — The number of children traveling alone who were picked up at the Mexican border by U.S. immigration authorities likely hit an all-time high in July, and the number of people who came in families likely reached its second-highest total on record, a U.S. official said Monday, citing preliminary government figures. The sharp increases from June were striking because crossings
usually slow during stifling — and sometimes fatal — summer heat. U.S. authorities likely picked up more than 19,000 unaccompanied children in July, exceeding the previous high of 18,877 in March, according to David Shahoulian, assistant secretary for border and immigration policy at the Department of Homeland Security. The June total was 15,253. The number of people encountered in families during July is expected at about 80,000, Shahou-
RALEIGH — An executive order from Gov. Roy Cooper, effective at 5 p.m. July 29, directed his Cabinet departments to begin verifying the vaccination status of all employees and for those not vaccinated to undergo a weekly testing regime and mandatory indoor masking. The order also changed N.C. Department of Health and Human Services guidance to strongly encourage, but not require, that schools, local governments and businesses tighten masking and vaccination protocols in response to rising Delta variant case numbers. “Until more people get the vaccine, we will continue living with the very real threat of serious disease, and we will continue to see more dangerous and contagious variants like Delta,” said Cooper at a July 29 press conference that he and NCDHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen hosted to announce the order. This change in guidance for North Carolina came on the heels of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announcement that it was recommending increased masking and vaccinations due to the Delta variant. State Republicans also reacted to the CDC guidance, with Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden) releasing a statement noting contradiction with comments by President Joe Biden two months earlier, when he said, “If you’ve been fully vaccinated, you no longer need to wear a mask. Let me repeat: If you are fully vaccinated, you no longer need to wear a mask.” Berger said that “whiplash on mask ‘guidance’ from the CDC may have the perverse effect of discouraging vaccination” because people will question whether the vaccine is effective if they need to put masks back on. While Cooper didn’t require
lian said. That’s shy of the all-time high of 88,857 in May 2019 but up from 55,805 in June. Overall, U.S. authorities stopped migrants about 210,000 times at the border in July, up from 188,829 in June and the highest in more than 20 years. But the numbers aren’t directly comparable because many cross repeatedly under a pandemic-related ban that expels people from the country immediately without giving them a chance to seek asylum but carries no legal consequences. The activity was overwhelmingly concentrated in the Border Patrol’s Del Rio and Rio Grande Valley sectors in south Texas, accounting for more than seven of 10 See BORDER, page A2
businesses to return to the mask mandates of past executive orders, he did strongly encourage them to “at a minimum, verify vaccination status for their workers as well.” He also called on people, both vaccinated and not, to wear masks when gathering indoors again, saying in the guidance, “Businesses are strongly encouraged to require guests to wear a face covering in indoor areas of offices, buildings and facilities.” Many companies have started requiring vaccinations from employees and masks for anyone inside their premises since the announcement by the CDC and subsequent orders from states like North Carolina. Weaver Street Market, a grocery chain with locations across the Triangle area, began requiring masks again in their stores on Aug. 3, a move being taken by many other retailers. Nationally, Disney announced they are joining other major companies like Netflix in requiring vaccinations for employees. Many of North Carolina’s hospital systems already announced last week that they are also requiring vaccinations for employees. Two bars in Asheville, the Double Crown and the Lazy Diamond, announced the day after Cooper’s order that they would begin requiring proof of vaccination “to participate in all activities, inside or out,” at their establishments. See COVID, page A2