Lawsuit Challenges Gay Marriage Law In North Carolina
Three couples are challenging North Carolina's law giving magistrates the option not to perform gay marriages based on religious objections.
The couples' lawsuit, filed Wednesday in federal court, says the law approved six months ago violates the U.S. Constitution by promoting religious beliefs over the equality of all North Carolina citizens, especially gays and lesbians. The litigation says magistrates can't be permitted to disavow their oath to carry out laws.
The Republican-led General Assembly passed the law over the veto of Gov. Pat McCrory. The law says magistrates and some court officials can recuse themselves if they have a "sincerely held religious objection." The recusal applies to all marriages for at least six months.
Civil gay marriages were authorized in North Carolina in October 2014.
Honda Wins FAA Approval To Start Selling Jets Made In USA
Honda has the U.S. regulatory approval it needs to launch full production of the auto-making giant's first aircraft.
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elizabeth Cory said Wednesday that Honda Aircraft Co. received the certification on Tuesday.
HondaJet's model HA-420 business jet is expected to be the first in a line of aircraft made at a manufacturing hub and headquarters in Greensboro.
The jet can seat up to seven and has a list price of about $4.5 million. Honda says it has received more than 100 orders, primarily from customers in North America and Europe. Originally, the company had said deliveries would begin by 2010. It hasn't said what its new delivery target is.
The milestone comes three decades after Honda's founder set a goal of entering the aviation market.
14 Republicans Named For North Carolina Presidential Primary
Get ready for a long list of Republican presidential candidates on North Carolina's March 15 primary ballot.
The state Republican Party submitted Wednesday to the State Board of Elections 14 names that GOP primary voters could choose from.
North Carolina law directs parties to provide slates of candidates by next week. Democrats already submitted three names.
The Republican names proposed are Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina, Jim Gilmore, Lindsey Graham, Mike Huckabee, John Kasich, George Pataki, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Rick Santorum and Donald Trump.
The law says lists must be comprised of candidates whose candidacies are "generally advocated and recognized in the news media" throughout the country or in North Carolina.
The election board meets Jan. 5 to finalize the ballot names.
Cooper Gets Teachers' Group Backing; Mccrory Gets Challenger
North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory has landed a Republican primary challenge from a former state lawmaker persuaded to get in the race based on opposition to toll lanes on Interstate 77 north of Charlotte.
Robert Brawley of Mooresville filed his candidacy papers at the State Board of Elections on Wednesday, the same day the North Carolina Association of Educators endorsed Democratic Attorney General Roy Cooper for governor next year over McCrory and Democrat Ken Spaulding.
Brawley served in the House for 18 years in the 1980s and '90s before returning in 2013 for another term. Brawley was shut out of House Republican Caucus meetings last year by fellow GOP colleagues.
Brawley said in a release that McCrory has done many good things but other concerns must be addressed.
Santa Will Be Busy Filling World's Largest Stocking
Santa will need more reindeer to haul the gifts required to fill what's been designated as the world's largest Christmas stocking.
The Fayetteville Observer reports the 1,600-pound, 7,700-square-foot stocking will be unveiled at Arnette Park in Fayetteville on Saturday.
It was crafted by knitters from all 50 states, four Canadian provinces and Ireland who donated 3-foot by 3-foot swatches of knitted yarn.
Kimberly Patrick, an adjudicator for Guinness World Records, says the stocking was measured by a local land surveying company and qualifies as the largest.
The stocking was created with yarn from Caron United, which is based in Washington, North Carolina. The company donated part of the proceeds from yarn sales to provide more than $100,000 for scholarships for the children of fallen U.S. troops.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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