Advocates Call On McCrory To End Confederate License Plates

Advocacy groups plan to deliver a petition to Gov. Pat McCrory calling on him to use his executive authority to halt the sale of North Carolina license plates bearing the Confederate flag.

Sponsors of the movement say the petition with more than 13,000 signatures will be delivered Thursday to the governor's office in the old Capitol building,

McCrory said he wants to stop issuing the plates, which have been given to more than 2,000 Sons of Confederate Veterans. But he says he thinks the law requires him to wait for General Assembly approval. At the same time, legislative leaders say it is the governor's decision.

Environmental Groups Ask Judge To Dismiss Part Of Lawsuit

A coalition of environmental groups is asking a North Carolina judge to dismiss part of lawsuit over pollution leaking from Duke Energy's coal ash dumps.

The Southern Environmental Law Center filed a suit Wednesday supporting a motion from Duke saying the company will remove all ash from half of its coal-fired power plants in the state.

The plants include Duke's Asheville, Riverbend, Sutton, Cape Fear, Lee and Weatherspoon. Also included is the Dan River plant where there was a massive ash spill last year.

Director Of NC Board Of Elections Testifies At Voting Trial

The director of North Carolina's Board of Elections says more than 96,000 people who used same-day voter registration in 2012 might not have been able to cast a ballot if the state's new election law had been in effect.

The Winston-Salem Journal reports director Kim Strach also acknowledged in testimony Wednesday that she could find no evidence of significant fraud in same-day voter registration.

Earlier Wednesday, State Rep. Henry "Mickey" Michaux testified that he and other black legislators had worked for years to enact legislation making it easier for black people to vote. He said those efforts disappeared with passage of the new law.

NC Senate Moves To Bar School Districts From Suing Counties

School districts in North Carolina may soon be barred for five years from suing their counties over the amount of funding they receive under a new provision approved by the state Senate.

The Senate passed on Wednesday a bill that included an amendment filed by Sen. Dan Soucek, R-Watauga, imposing the five-year moratorium. The amended bill will now go to the House for concurrence.

Bank Of America CFO Steps Down In Shake-Up

Bank of America's second-in-command is out of a job following a management shake-up.

Bruce Thompson, Bank of America's chief financial officer for the last five-and-a-half years, will be stepping down. He will be replaced with long-time BofA executive Paul Donofrio on Aug. 1.

CEO Brian Moynihan announced the moves late Wednesday.

Thompson's exit comes as a surprise, as he was reportedly considered a possible successor for Moynihan.

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