McCrory Aide Disputes Testimony About Coal Ash Water Meeting
Governor Pat McCrory's chief of staff is disputing a state toxicologist's version of a meeting regarding the safety of drinking water near coal ash ponds.
The News and Observer reports that the toxicologist, Ken Rudo, testified in a recent deposition that he disagreed with a decision by the Department of Health and Human Services to rescind a water safety warning.The do-not-drink warning was sent to residents who live near Duke Energy coal-ash pits.
Rudo testified that McCrory participated by phone in a discussion about the decision.
In a late-night news conference Tuesday, Administration Chief of Staff Thomas Stith says that meeting never happened, and accused Rudo of lying under oath.
VP Nominees Campaign In North Carolina
The Democrat running for vice president is visiting North Carolina aiming to persuade voters Hillary Clinton would boost jobs and the economy if elected president.
Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine speaks to supporters in Greensboro on Wednesday as he talks up Clinton's job-creation plan. He's also scheduled to visit a small business in High Point that manufactures bedding and window equipment.
Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence is visiting Raleigh on Thursday.
Cooper Won't Continue Defending Struck-Down Voter ID Law
North Carolina Democratic Attorney General Roy Cooper will no longer defend in court the state law requiring photo identification to vote and creating other voting restrictions because it was struck down by federal appeals judges.
The attorney general's office confirmed Tuesday its lawyers won't keep appealing. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last Friday determined the 2013 law was passed with "discriminatory intent" and blocked enforcement.
Cooper's decision won't halt appeals, since Republican Gov. Pat McCrory and GOP legislative leaders have their attorneys on the case. Still, McCrory blasted Cooper for failing to do his job and keep defending the state. Cooper is challenging McCrory for governor.
NC Regulator: Nearly $100M Bond Needed To Contest Gas Plant
North Carolina electricity regulators are dismissing a bid to stop a $1 billion natural gas power plant because opponents didn't post a nearly $100 million guarantee to cover costs of construction delays.
The North Carolina Utilities Commission on Tuesday dismissed an appeal by the advocacy groups NC WARN and the Climate Times.
The commission in March approved the Asheville power plant to replace a coal-burning Duke Energy Corp. plant.
Charlotte's Gay Pride Festival To Get Extra Security
Officials in Charlotte have declared the city's gay pride festival later this month is an extraordinary event that requires extra security.
City officials say the decision allows them to ban backpacks and regular items that can be used as weapons, such as chains and box cutters at the Aug. 20-21 event. It also allows police more latitude to stop and search people.
The decision comes less than two months after 49 people were killed in a shooting at The Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
Charlotte passed the extraordinary event ordinance in 2012 before the Democratic National Convention.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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