North Carolina News – November 6

North Carolina News – November 6

FIRST LADY-TRUMP SUPPORTERS-APOLOGY

N.C. first lady apologizes for comment on Trump supporters

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s first lady has apologized after a screenshot of her saying she “flipped off” supporters of President Donald Trump during a rally in the state was circulated on social media. Kristin Cooper apologized Thursday through an emailed statement from her spokesperson to The News & Observer. The screenshot of Cooper’s comments shows her saying that she “flipped off” a “pitiful family group” that was waving flags at the state Capitol. Michelle Morrow, an organizer for the event on Sunday, told WRAL-TV that attendees had been carrying a “Trump flag” and other flags. Cooper said her “personal Facebook comments and actions leading to it were inappropriate.”

ELECTION 2020-GOVERNOR-NORTH CAROLINA

Cooper on election results: ‘There is a lot of status quo’

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper acknowledged Republican victories in the state but believe his margin of victory in his reelection bid suggests voters want state lawmakers to expand Medicaid. Republican leaders Phil Berger and Tim Moore appear to disagree. They say Republican candidates won competitive legislative races where Democrats campaigned heavily on the issue of health care. Cooper defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Forest by more than 4 percentage points. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and Democratic senate challenger Cal Cunningham are trailing President Donald Trump and Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. Cooper hopes the end of the election will make it easier for him to convince residents to wear a mask.

AP-US-ELECTION-2020-STATE-POLITICAL-POWER

Republicans retain power in states despite Democratic push

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Republicans and Democrats spent millions of dollars to wage an intense campaign for control of state capitols. When it’s all said and done, the composition of state legislatures and governors’ offices will look a lot like it did before Tuesday’s elections. Democrats failed in many of their top-targeted states to flip control of legislative chambers. Republicans, meanwhile, picked up the Montana governorship and appeared to gain the New Hampshire legislative chambers. The National Conference of State Legislatures says it turned out to be a status quo election. That means Republicans generally will continue to hold greater power over redistricting and to enact conservative economic and social policies.

ELECTION 2020-NORTH CAROLINA-ATTORNEY GENERAL

N. Carolina AG, chief justice race outcomes likely days away

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The outcomes of elections for North Carolina’s top lawyer and top judge likely won’t be settled for at least several more days as mail-in ballots trickle in and provisional ballots are counted statewide. Uncalled races included that between incumbent Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein and Republican challenger Jim O’Neill. There also has been no decision in the race between Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley and challenger Paul Newby. County boards are now awaiting mail-in absentee ballots and will scrutinize about 41,000 provisional ballots to determine their validity. Those ballots will be added to county tabulations late next week.

AP-VA-GREAT WHITE SHARK-KATHERINE

Katherine, a massive great white shark, reappears off coast

BUXTON, N.C. (AP) — A massive great white shark who often swims off of North Carolina’s coast has kept an active satellite tag longer than any other of her kind. The Virginian-Pilot reported Tuesday that scientists tagged the now-famous shark seven years ago off Cape of Cod. The shark, named Katherine, was recently spotted swimming hundreds of miles off the coast of Virginia on Monday. It was the first evidence of her whereabouts in about a year and a half. Katharine is 14 feet, 2 inches long and weighs 2,300 pounds. She has spent a large part of her life off the Outer Banks.

AP-NC-AMERICA PROTESTS-ARSON-ARRESTS

Defendants in North Carolina arson case plead guilty

WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice says two men have pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a fire at a historic landmark in North Carolina, A news release on Thursday says 32-year-old Charles Anthony Pittman and 32-year-old Andrew Salvarani Garcia-Smith took part in the burning of Fayetteville’s Market House, which is a National Historic Landmark. Court documents cited in the news release said Pittman carried a gasoline container to the second story of the Market House and waived it to the crowd before pouring gasoline onto the floor inside. A social media post showed showed Garcia-Smith picking up a bottle filled with flammable liquids and throwing it into the Market House.

AP-NC-POLLING PLACE-ARMED MAN

Police looking for armed man arrested at voting site

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Police say a man who was arrested at a North Carolina voting site on Election Day is facing additional charges after he went to the site for a third time. A news release from Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said officers were told that 36-year-old Justin Dunn, who had been recently released from jail, had returned to the polling site Tuesday night. Police said Dunn wore a holstered gun when he voted Tuesday morning, but was asked to leave the polling place after casting his ballot following complaints from others who called police and witnesses who said they felt intimidated. Dunn left, but then returned and was arrested.

MOOSE LODGE-ILLEGAL GAMBLING

N Carolina Moose Lodge facing sanction for illegal gambling

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A Moose Lodge in North Carolina could lose its liquor license after state agents discovered illegal pool gambling involving NASCAR races. The Charlotte Observer reports the N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission reported the game at the Mooresville lodge involved cutting cigarette cartons open with handwritten names on one side and numbers on the other covered by a flap. The agent’s report cited an employee who said the numbers represented NASCAR drivers’ numbers. Paper clipped to the carton was an envelope with $85, and the report said after a race was finished , the numbers were revealed and the money awarded.

Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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