VOLUME 1 EDITION 2
SUNDAY, MARCH 6, 2016
WWW.NSJONLINE.COM
the Sunday NEWS BRIEFING North Carolina tops list in growth Washington, D.C. North Carolina ranked first in the southeast for growth and No. 11 in the nation according to the third quarter Gross Domestic Product statistics released this week by the U.S. Commerce Department.
Duke Cited for coal ash pond leaks Raleigh The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality issued violations against Duke Energy Friday for allowing wastewater to leak from coal ash basins at 12 facilities. The action requires Duke Energy to take corrective action and submit more information to the state environmental department. The utility has 30 days to respond to the violations and provide the data.
Trump’s low ad spending weighs on broadcasters New York, N.Y. Republican front runner Donald Trump has upended the presidential primaries this year by relying heavily on free air time and Twitter. This comes at the expense of local-ad buying, throwing into question estimates that the presidential election could translate into $6 billion spent on TV advertising. So far $10 million has been spent on advertising for Donald Trump, compared with $32 million for Hillary Clinton, $49 million for Marco Rubio, and almost $85 million for Jeb Bush, according to data from Ad Age.
Google bears ‘some responsibility’ after self-driving car hit bus Mountain View, Calif. Alphabet Inc’s Google said on Monday it bears “some responsibility” after one of its self-driving cars struck a municipal bus in a minor crash earlier this month. The crash may be the first case of one of its autonomous cars hitting another vehicle and the fault of the self-driving car. The California-based Internet search leader said it made changes to its software after the crash to avoid future incidents.
MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL
It’s almost spring, and officials at the N.C. Zoo in Asheboro hope the zoo’s two polar bears’ fancies soon will turn to thoughts of love. Nikita, the male bear, was introduced to Anana recently and was officially welcomed to the zoo Thursday by Gov. Pat McCrory and Susan Kluttz, secretary of the state Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. “Our hope is to welcome a new polar bear cub one day soon.”
NORTH
STATE
JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION
KEVIN MARTIN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL
Ted Prather, a curbside assistant, helps facilitate early voting at the Wake County Board of Elections, Friday, March 4, in Raleigh.
Lawmakers ready to intervene on Charlotte ordinance
CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL
By Donna King North State Journal
Cat Barber carried NC State but can he take them further? Sports
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Early voting begins, lasts until March 12 By Liz Moomey North State Journal
State Sen. Buck Newton (R-Wilson) speaks to reporters at the North Carolina General Assembly criticizing the Charlotte City Council’s ordinance.
INSIDE
ELECTION 2016
RALEIGH — The N.C. General Assembly says it has the support among legislators needed to call a special session to overturn the Charlotte City Council’s decision to allow transgender people to use the restrooms and locker rooms of their identified gender rather than their biological one. The Charlotte ordinance takes effect April 1 and lawmakers are not due to reconvene until April 24. The move to rally legislators early was prompted by Attorney General Roy Cooper’s statement earlier in the week that he did not see a reason for lawmakers to intervene. “It doesn’t change anything in North Carolina criminal law. Investigators, prosecutors still have the ability to arrest criminals,” said Cooper to reporters after this week’s Council of State meeting in Raleigh. When pressed for the specific state statute that Cooper was referring to that addressed the issue of sex-specific facilities, his office produced a statute that only says a “city ordinance shall be consistent with the Constitution and laws of North Carolina.” “Roy Cooper has repeatedly claimed that he would enforce state laws even if he disagreed Turn to ORDINANCE, Page A8
“The Charlotte City Council has lost its mind.” Sen. Buck Newton
RALEIGH — Voters anxious to cast their ballots early began heading to the polls this week as primary voting began Thursday and runs until March 12, three days before Election Day. According to the North Carolina Board of Elections, there are about 25,000 hours of early voting available at 360 sites around the state. “Counties have worked hard to expand voting opportunities across our state,” State Board of Elections Executive Director Kim Strach said. “We want voters to use the voting method that best fits their schedule.” Early voting has gained popularity in recent years. In 2012, for example, more than 23 percent of votes cast in the primary race were from early voting. The primary ballot includes all presidential, gubernatorial and legislative primary races, along with the $2 billion Connect NC bond referendum.
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days of early voting
360 early voting sites
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percent of votes in the 2012 primary were cast early
Turn to VOTING, Page A8
Will Texas bankruptcy take a toll in N.C.? By Kimberly Johnson North State Journal CHARLOTTE — The Texas-based sister company of I-77 Mobility Partners — the private contractor building Charlotte’s interstate toll road — has filed for bankruptcy, prompting North Carolina transportation officials to “reassess” the controversial project. NCDOT Secretary Nick Tennyson will travel to Texas Monday to meet with agency counterparts to discuss what has gone wrong with the project many pointed to as the model for the Charlotte corridor expansion. “The governor has directed us to immediately Turn to I-77, Page A8
The State’s Project Phoenix aims to revitalize urban properties; McCrory rallies Nash Co. GOP, blasts Cooper for not fighting federal energy regulations. Stories on Murphy to Manteo, page 5