Morning News Briefs: Monday, October 10, 2016

Governor: Dangers From Matthew Will Continue As Rivers Crest

Gov. Pat McCrory is warning that the dangers posed by Hurricane Matthew will continue in North Carolina through at least the end of the week.

McCrory said at a news conference Sunday that rivers will crest close to or above record levels, many set when Hurricane Floyd struck in September 1999.

He says eight people have died in the storm. Five people are missing.

Pence Begins Busy Week For NC Presidential Politics

Mike Pence's visit to North Carolina begins a full week of travel by major-party presidential ticket candidates to the battleground state, as well as by President Barack Obama.

The Republican vice presidential nominee will hold a town hall meeting Monday afternoon in downtown Charlotte, followed by an evening rally in Fletcher, just outside Asheville.

On Tuesday evening Obama plans to appear at an outdoor amphitheater in Greensboro to back Hillary Clinton's election. Earlier the president will participate in a forum at North Carolina A&T State University about race and sports that will air later Tuesday on ESPN.

Clinton running mate Tim Kaine will join a state Democratic Party rally Wednesday at Davidson College. And Donald Trump is holding a rally Friday evening at an outdoor Charlotte concert venue.

Lawyers Tell Judge Early Voting Changes Aren't Necessary

Attorneys for Gov. Pat McCrory and other government officials want a judge to reject demands by some voters that early in-person voting be expanded further in five counties after a court ruling struck down previous ballot access changes.

The lawyers wrote Friday that decisions by county and state elections board members setting up early-vote schedules complied with the ruling of a federal appeals court. They also argue it's too late to retool voting locations and times because early voting begins Oct. 20 in the presidential battleground state.

The voters filed a motion last week for changes in counties encompassing Charlotte, Greensboro and other cities. They're unhappy because they believe election board decisions leaving out voting on Sundays and the Saturday afternoon before the election disproportionately harm black citizens.

Bipartisan Effort Protects Federal Aid To Eugenics Victims

President Obama has signed legislation ensuring that people who've received payments from states after being sterilized decades ago are not penalized in qualifying for federal benefits.

The bipartisan legislation was introduced by North Carolina's Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. It excludes the payments from calculations designed to determine whether someone can enroll for Medicaid, food stamps, disability assistance and other benefits.

East Carolina Football Team Delayed In Return

East Carolina University's football team had an arduous journey back to Greenville after its game with the University of South Florida in Tampa.

Pirate IMG Network engineer David Horn said Sunday the team was scheduled to fly back to Greenville after the game on Saturday, but the effects of Hurricane Matthew prevented the team from landing their charter at Pitt-Greenville Airport. Instead, the plane was diverted to Richmond, Virginia.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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