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North Carolina Talks Medicaid Expansion
A local Republican legislator is pushing for North Carolina to expand Medicaid. But support for his bill is mixed even in his own party.
State Rep. Donny Lambeth of Forsyth County co-sponsored a bill that would extend federal health benefits for the poor, the elderly and the disabled.
North Carolina is one of 19 states that have not extended those benefits despite promises that the federal government would cover 90 percent of the costs.
House Speaker Tim Moore says he's still opposed to Medicaid expansion. And a spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Phil Berger says his position against the move has not changed.
Environmentalists Map Homes, Hog Farms As Lawsuits Clouded
Environmental groups say they estimate tens of thousands of homeowners would be affected by a North Carolina proposal to protect hog and poultry operations from lawsuits to stop intense animal waste smells.
Environmental Working Group and Waterkeeper Alliance released an interactive map Sunday showing the proximity of homes to high-density hog and poultry barns around North Carolina. They estimate about 60,000 homes are within a half-mile of livestock operations, representing families likely to be affected if the legislation undercutting nuisance lawsuits is approved.
The environmental groups say they've used state permitting data and on-the-ground spotters to log the locations of thousands of industrial-scale livestock operations on the online map. The groups say the map also marks residential parcels from county tax records.
Carolinas See Increases In Pedestrians Killed By Cars
Distracting cell phones and too much alcohol are being blamed for an increase in pedestrians being killed by moving vehicles across North Carolina and South Carolina.
The Charlotte Observer reports that U.S. pedestrian deaths grew at a faster rate last year than at any other time in the past 40 years. A new study by the Governors Highway Safety Association estimates that the number of pedestrians killed last year increased by 11 percent over 2015.
The nonprofit association for state highway safety offices says North Carolina had a nearly 25 percent increase in the first half of last year. South Carolina had a 16 percent increase.
'Survivor' Contestant Who Outed Competitor Loses His Job
"Survivor" contestant Jeff Varner, who outed fellow competitor Zeke Smith as transgender on Wednesday night's episode of the CBS reality competition, has been fired from his real estate job in Greensboro.
The Greensboro News & Record reports Varner was fired on Thursday from Allen Tate Realtors because he was "in the middle of a news story that we don't want anything to do with."
Varner made accusations of "a deception" before revealing that Smith is transgender on the episode. Varner was immediately criticized by other players. He repeatedly apologized, but was voted out of the competition.
Smith explained that he didn't mention that he was transgendered because he didn't want to be known as "the trans 'Survivor' player."
Strong Winds Drive Smoke From Georgia Wildfire Into NC
Weather officials say strong winds are carrying smoke from wildfires in Georgia into North Carolina.
The National Weather Service in Raleigh said southwest winds pushed the smoke up Sunday from the southeast Georgia fire.
The Division of Environmental Quality air quality index number for the Triangle area of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill hit the orange alert level Sunday. That means people who are sensitive to air quality should stay inside.
Officials believe the smoke is coming from the Georgia fire and not one in McDowell County, North Carolina, that the U.S. Forest Service said was about 85 percent contained as of Sunday.
Tribeca Documentary About Coal Includes NC Community
A documentary that includes information about North Carolina's coal ash pollution will premiere later this month at the Tribeca Film Festival.
The Salisbury Post reports the documentary titled "From the Ashes" examines the history of coal and its future.
Part of the documentary was filmed in Dukeville, which has dealt with questions about well-water quality for roughly two years. State law requires that Duke Energy provide a source of safe, permanent water to neighbors of its coal ash ponds by 2018.
"From the Ashes" is set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City on April 26.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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