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House, Senate Don't Touch Each Other's Redistricting Plans
North Carolina House and Senate members are sticking with tradition by declining to interfere with the other chamber's proposed district boundaries.
The Senate redistricting committee voted Tuesday for a new House map drawn by Republicans and approved by the House on Monday. There was no debate. The House redistricting committee followed the same pattern later Tuesday and endorsed the Senate proposal already approved by the Senate.
GOP leaders face a Friday deadline from federal judges to approve new maps after the judges struck down nearly 30 current districts as illegal racial gerrymanders.
Challenges To North Carolina Congressional Map Can Proceed
Lawsuits challenging North Carolina's congressional districts can proceed after federal judges rejected arguments that they should wait for the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh a similar case.
A three-judge federal panel in North Carolina issued a two-sentence order Tuesday rejecting a motion to halt the case while the high court considers a Wisconsin case dealing with similar issues. A longer written opinion was to come later.
The League of Women Voters and Common Cause argue in their lawsuit that the North Carolina congressional map used in 2016 unfairly favors Republicans.
Fate Of 6 Vetoed Bills Unclear At North Carolina Legislature
The Republican-controlled North Carolina General Assembly has delayed votes on several of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's recent vetoes, and it's unclear if any overrides will occur before their summer work ends this week.
Six vetoed bills are pending. Three-fifths majorities in the House and Senate cancel a veto.
The House voted last week to override two vetoed bills but delayed votes on three more. House Majority Leader John Bell downplayed Tuesday acting on those three this week, saying the top priority is approving redistricting maps before a Friday court deadline. The three bills address legal notices, landfills and casino nights for nonprofits.
3 More Charged In Toppling North Carolina Confederate Statue
Three more people have been charged with toppling a Confederate statue in North Carolina earlier this month.
Durham County jail records show that Jessica Nicole Jude, Joseph Baldoni Karlik and Qasima Rohan Elise Wideman were arrested Monday and later released. Jail records show each faces charges related to rioting and property damage.
An attorney representing the three, Scott Holmes, declined to comment on their arrests.
Eight others had already been arrested previously on similar charges of tearing down the Confederate statue in front of a government building in Durham. The bronze soldier was pulled down Aug. 14 by protesters who climbed a ladder and attached a rope.
Power Outage Causes Problems At PTI
Fallen power lines led to problems at a North Carolina airport and left more than 100 surrounding businesses in the dark.
Duke Energy spokesman Dave Scanzoni said power lines fell across the Interstate 73/Interstate 40 corridor at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, knocking out power to Piedmont Triad International Airport and 130 businesses. The News and Record of Greensboro reports the highway was also closed.
Scanzoni said it's not clear what brought the lines down. Work crews determined it was an equipment problem.
Power was restored at the airport around four hours later. Around 11:15 a.m., the affected businesses got their power back.
Professor: 'Average' Season For Fall Leaves In NC
Forecasters say North Carolina can expect an "average" season for fall leaves, but a college professor suggests it may not be so bad.
Appalachian State University biology professor Howard Neufeld tells the Asheville Citizen-Times a moderate summer with rain and no drought could help bring out the colors.
Neufeld said it's been a fairly moderate summer with pretty good rain, no drought and moderate temperatures. He said if there are clear days into September and a succession of very cool nights and sunny days, that will bring out the red colors.
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