Morning News Briefs: Thursday, September 1, 2016

US High Court Refuses To Reinstate North Carolina Voter ID

The nation's highest court has refused to reinstate North Carolina's voter ID requirement and restrictions on early voting. 

Governor Pat McCrory asked the U.S. Supreme Court to temporarily allow North Carolina's 2013 voter restrictions to stay in place after a federal court invalidated them last month.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down several parts of the law, saying they were approved by legislators with intentional bias against black voters more likely to support Democrats.

The Supreme Court decision means voters won't have to show one of several qualifying photo IDs when casting ballots in the presidential battleground state. Early voting also reverts to 17 days.

Texas, Other States File To Support House Bill 2

Texas and a dozen other states are asking a federal judge in North Carolina to side with Republican leaders defending House Bill 2, a law governing transgender restroom access.

The group behind the amicus brief Wednesday largely overlaps with states that won a ruling last week against Obama administration guidelines on transgender restroom access in schools.

The states also argue the North Carolina proceedings should be halted temporarily because of that ruling and a Virginia case that the U.S. Supreme Court may hear.

Meanwhile, states including New York and dozens of companies have filed amicus briefs attacking North Carolina's law.

Coal Ash: 1,000 Homes To Get New Water Supply Or Filtration

North Carolina environmental regulators say Duke Energy will pay for new water lines or filtration systems for 1,000 households near coal ash storage pits.

The Department of Environmental Quality announced Wednesday that letters were sent this week to owners of drinking wells within a half-mile of the facilities that store coal ash. The byproduct from burning coal for energy can contain toxic chemicals.

A new state law requires Duke Energy to pay for a new water line or filtration system for each house. Duke must submit plans for the new water supplies this year and complete the work by late 2018.

Convicted Man's Release Keeps Duke Lacrosse Lawyer Off Stand

A North Carolina man is free after serving 21 years in prison for a double murder after a judge ruled he likely didn't commit the crime. Now questions linger about the prosecutor of the case — the former district attorney already disbarred for lying and misconduct in the Duke University lacrosse rape case.

Durham prosecutors on Wednesday opted against fighting Darryl Howard's release based on improved DNA evidence just before having to defend former District Attorney Mike Nifong's handling of the case.

The 54-year-old Howard had been serving an 80-year sentence. He was convicted in 1995 for the strangling and sexual assault of 29-year-old Doris Washington and her 13-year-old daughter.

Report: Improvements Needed At Asheville Superfund Site

A report on an Asheville Superfund site says that while progress has been made since 2012 in investigating and cleaning up the site, there could be improvements in speeding up the process.

The report issued by the Office of the Inspector General on Wednesday said some of the investigations into the CTS of Asheville Superfund site were delayed as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's regional office worked to obtain access to private property.

The Asheville Citizen Times reports EPA officials in Region 4, which includes North Carolina, disagreed with several points in the Inspector General report, and argued they had met with a property owner living near the site in an attempt to gain access to the property to collect air samples.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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