Morning Headlines: Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Poverty On The Rise In North Carolina

Poverty and food insecurity are on the rise across the state of North Carolina. That's according to new data from the U-S Census Bureau.

In the latest American Community Survey, not a single county in North Carolina saw a decrease in poverty rates, and many in the Triad region actually had moderate increases.

Overall, more than 1.6 million residents statewide live below the poverty level, an uptick of 2.5 percent between 2009 and 2014.

Unemployment Rates Up Slightly

Most counties in North Carolina saw an increase in their unemployment rates for October. The North Carolina Department of Commerce released the numbers Monday.  

The statewide rate was 5.5 percent, a slight increase over last month. Those numbers aren't seasonally adjusted.

Mark Burkey, an economics professor with North Carolina A&T State University, says that number doesn't paint the whole picture.

He says wages have been slow to catch up after the recession and many North Carolinians are underemployed.

Burkey says things could be better but the state has shown significant growth since the end of the recession.  

He says sectors that have shown strength lately include professional and business services, education and health services and construction.

Cooper Urges Lawmakers, McCrory To Pass 'Watch List' Gun Ban

Attorney General Roy Cooper says it's "common sense" to prevent people on the federal government's database of known or suspected terrorists from purchasing guns in North Carolina even though Congress won't pass such a ban nationally.

The Democrat announced Monday he supported blocking firearm sales to people on the FBI's "terrorist watch list." He wants the Republican General Assembly and Gov. Pat McCrory to pass such legislation.

The U.S. Senate considered last week a similar provision, but it fell six votes shy of what's needed for passage.

A federal analysis found people on the list had successfully passed firearm background checks more than 90 percent of the time.

Senate leader Phil Berger's office and state GOP Chairman Hassan Harnett blasted Cooper and his idea as gun control.

$1.5M Used To Help Launch New North Carolina Logo, Slogan

Gov. Pat McCrory's administration has spent $1.5 million to launch a new branding effort for state government this year, with a new state logo and a slogan that reads, "Nothing Compares."

The News & Observer reports the legislature gave McCrory's Department of Commerce money for the project, which began in 2014 with input from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC-Chapel Hill.

The logo features the letters "NC" in green and blue colors separated by a longleaf pine. Commerce officials placed the slogan and logo on 75 highway billboards across North Carolina this summer.

Commerce Department Director of Strategic and Economic Development Communications Kim Genardo says the billboards were an inexpensive but highly visible way to debut the campaign.

The logo will replace over 50 distinct logos used by state agencies.

Great White Shark Washes Ashore At Wrightsville Beach

An official at Wrightsville Beach says a great white shark estimated to be at least 8 feet long has washed up on shore.

Town Manager Tim Owens says that the shark was spotted late Monday morning along the shoreline near the Crystal Pier.

Thomas Lankford, associate professor at UNC Wilmington's Biology and Marine Biology Department, told WECT in Wilmington that the female shark is believed to be around 20 years old and was suffering from multiple bite marks.

Lankford said the bites did not cause the shark's death, and were probably from other animals trying to scavenge its body.

Bill McLellan of UNC Wilmington's marine mammal stranding program said the school will perform a necropsy.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.