VOLUME 5 ISSUE 36
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WWW.NSJONLINE.COM |
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2020
COURTESY PHOTOS
Gov. Roy Cooper and Lt.Gov. Dan Forest, the two candidates for governor, have run very different campaigns -- Cooper using his incumbency advantage and Forest maintaining an active travel schedule.
the Wednesday
NEWS BRIEFING
231,611 COVID-19 patients presumed to be recovered RALEIGH — The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services said that over 230,000 COVID-19 patients are presumed to have recovered from the virus as of Oct. 26. 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 unemployment rate increases RALEIGH — The N.C. Department of Commerce reported this week that the state’s unemployment rate increased nearly a full percentage point to 7.3% in the month of September. That represents an increase of 0.8% from the August rate. Nationally, the rate decreased by half a point to 7.9%. N.C.’s September 2020 unemployment rate increased 3.6% from a year ago. The number of people employed increased 38,683 over the month to 4,558,033 and decreased 352,111 over the year. The number of people unemployed increased 44,278 over the month to 356,952 and increased 166,666 over the year. NSJ STAFF
Pope names 13 new cardinals, including 1st black US prelate VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis named 13 new cardinals, including Washington D.C. Archbishop Wilton Gregory, who would become the first black U.S. prelate to earn the coveted red hat. In a surprise announcement, Francis said the churchmen would be elevated to a cardinal’s rank in a ceremony on Nov. 28. The selection of Gregory won praise from LGBTQ advocates in the United States, days after Pope Francis grabbed headlines for voicing support for civil unions for gay couples. The prestigious Washington archdiocese traditionally brings elevation to cardinal’s rank, so the appointment of Gregory, 73, last year by the pope had positioned him to be tapped for the honor. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NORTH
STATE
JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION
Negative ad alleging Rep. Hudson ‘skipped’ key military vote comes under fire Hudson under COVID quarantine during vote but helped draft portions of bill By David Larson North State Journal RALEIGH — In North Carolina’s most competitive congressional race, the 8th District fight between Republican incumbent Richard Hudson and former state Supreme Court associate justice Pat Timmons-Goodson, a negative campaign ad aimed at Hudson is drawing scrutiny as it gets a last-minute boost from additional PAC funding. Both candidates are keen to show their support for the military and veterans, considering the world’s largest military base, Fort Bragg, lies within the district. Timmons-Goodson highlights being raised in a Fort Bragg family, with her father, Edward Timmons, a sergeant first class in the 82nd Airborne, often stationed on the base. But independent backers of Timmons-Goodson are going beyond simply painting her as a “hometown challenger,” as she puts it; they are seeking to discredit Hudson’s image as a champion of the military and veterans. Both Hudson’s campaign and independent fact-checkers claim that an ad being used to cast doubt on his record is wrong on key details. The ad, called “Skipped Out,” starts with an image of a wounded soldier being treated and then carried to a helicopter. The voiceover says, “They put their lives on the line every day, but Congressman Hudson skipped out on a vote to give our troops a hardearned raise.” The ad concludes with the words, “Congressman Hudson is a disgrace.” But a CBS-17 fact-check says, “the ad, produced by the Democrats’ House Majority PAC, leaves out some critical context,” and earns a rating of “mostly false.”
The context CBS-17 identifies includes the fact that during the vote in question, for the National Defense Authorization Act, Hudson was under a doctor-ordered quarantine after being exposed to COVID-19. A letter from Dr. Brian Monahan, who is the onsite physician for Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court, recommended a 14-day quarantine, which ended after the vote. The fact-check also points out that the vote was not expected to be close, passing 295-125; Hudson submitted an explanation on his absence for the official record, which stated his support for the bill; and he was involved in writing certain portions of the bill, notably, the 10% increase in hazard pay. A fact-check on the ad also ran in N.C.’s McClatchy papers — The Charlotte Observer, Raleigh’s The News & Observer and The Herald-Sun in Durham — on Oct. 27, which said, “The ad opens with a factual statement, but displays inconsistencies and lacks context throughout the commercial.” Hudson’s campaign filed a cease-and-desist letter to stations in the district that were airing the ad, but Greg Steele, a spokesman for Hudson’s campaign, told NSJ, they “received several vague responses,” but no commitments to stop airing the ad. After an Oct. 21 announcement by pro-choice PAC Emily’s List, it appears the ad will even be seeing increased airtime. “Hudson has failed to show up for North Carolinians — 272 times, to be exact,” said Melissa Williams, executive director of Emily’s List’s independent expenditure arm WOMEN VOTE!, in a press statement. The statement announced their partnership with House Majority PAC to spend an additional $920,000 airing “Skipped Out,” saying, “The ad exposes Congressman Hudson’s shameful record of votSee AD, page A3
Cooper, Forest enter final stretch of campaign for governor By Matt Mercer North State Journal RALEIGH — Entering the final week of their 2020 general election campaigns, Gov. Roy Cooper and Lt. Gov. Dan Forest continued their divergent strategies to win the race for N.C. governor. Cooper and Forest have been in the same room only once during the campaign — during their Oct. 14 debate. Cooper says he’s abiding by state and federal guidelines and campaigning virtually, while Forest has maintained an active schedule traveling across the state. The incumbent Cooper has raised a staggering amount of money during his campaign, outpacing the amount he raised in 2016. He’s used those funds to flood the TV airwaves with ads complementing his regular up-
dates on the state’s COVID-19 response. In a recent statement, Cooper spokeswoman Liz Doherty said, “Gov. Cooper is a strong, measured leader who will continue to put North Carolinians first. Forest is too dangerous for North Carolina — he would put people in danger and put corporate interests ahead of working people and families.” Gov. Cooper and his wife, Kristin, voted early in Wake County. “Got another one in the box,” he said in a campaign video. He also made news for his tepid support for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Cal Cunningham. After greeting Democratic nominee Joe Biden before an event in Durham, Cooper told Biden that Cunningham’s extramarital issues See CAMPAIGNS, page A3
Thousands come out in Lumberton for Trump rally President Trump threw his support behind the Lumbee Recognition Act By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — Thousands turned out for President Donald Trump’s campaign stop in Lumberton on Saturday. The theme of the event was “fighting for forgotten men and women” of the Lumbee Indian tribe. The president highlighted his support for the tribe and the Lumbee Recognition act. Trump said he is “fighting for every American of every background, race, color, and creed, including Native Americans.” “When I’m re-elected, I will proudly sign the Lumbee Recognition Act, which should have been signed a long time ago, and the people of North Carolina want that,” said Trump. The Lumbee Recognition Act is a bill sponsored by North Carolina’s Republican U.S. Sens. Richard Burr and Thom Tillis. The bill will extend services and benefits provided to qualified members of federally recognized tribes. Trump said that in the past, other political officials, including the Obama administration, had promised the tribe full status, but that “they clearly abandoned you when they got your vote.” For 135 years, the Lumbee tribe has been trying to get recognition from the federal government, and President Trump has given new life to the effort. Earlier this month,
the president released a statement of his support for full federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe. “President Trump’s landmark push for the Lumbee Tribe’s recognition is yet another example of his ability to accomplish more in See RALLY, page A2