AP-US-PIPELINE-CYBERSECURITY-ATTACK

Pipeline hack sends people scrambling for fuel in the South

CLEMMONS, N.C. (AP) — The cybersecurity attack on the Colonial Pipeline has stricken fear and stress into the lives of people in the Southeastern U.S. who have been waiting in long lines amid distribution problems and panic-buying. The company said it initiated the restart of pipeline operations late Wednesday. But it will take several days for deliveries to return to normal. The situation forced some people to face the prospect of lost wages and missed doctors appointments. Restaurants and bars may be particularly squeezed since some workers may not be able to come to work and some customers may abandon plans to eat out.

AP-NC-PRISON MANAGER-BRIBERY SCHEME

N Carolina prison official pleads guilty to bribery charge

WASHINGTON (AP) — A case manager at a North Carolina prison has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a scheme to funnel drugs and other contraband into Caledonia Correctional Institution. The U.S. Department of Justice says in a news release that 62-year-old Ollie Rose III of Pleasant Hill admitted that he agreed to use his position from at least November 2018 through October 2020 to smuggle contraband — including oxycodone, marijuana and synthetic cannabinoids — into the prison for inmates. Rose further admitted that he did so in exchange for payments ranging from $500 to $1,200 and received more than $40,000 in total in bribes.

BC-NC-EX-VA WORKER-BRIBERY CHARGE

Former VA employee sentenced for conspiring to accept bribes

NEW BERN, N.C. (AP) — A federal prosecutor says a North Carolina man has been sentenced to two years in prison for conspiring to accept bribes in exchange for steering grants to a construction company. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Daniel Bruce Ross of Hope Mills worked for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Fayetteville as an agent for the Specially Adapted Housing grant program. Acting U.S. Attorney G. Norman Acker III says Ross directed more than $1 million worth of grant projects to All American Home Renovations in exchange for payments from the company’s owner and operator at the time.

CROSSOVER DEADLINE

North Carolina lawmakers dash toward key bill deadline

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina legislature has plowed through dozens of bills on the way toward meeting its traditional parliamentary deadline that attempts to whittle down the proposals that could become law during the next two years. House and Senate members held floor sessions on Wednesday to vote on more than 45 bills on the eve of the “crossover deadline.” Bills unrelated to state spending or taxes, elections or amending the state constitution that don’t pass at least one chamber by Thursday are considered dead through 2022. The chambers debated and passed bills addressing child marriage, criminal justice reform and race-based curriculum in K-12 schools.

RACIAL INJUSTICE

NC criminal justice reform bill gets unanimous OK in Senate

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A broad criminal justice measure that addresses officers who participate in misconduct, provides mental health aid to law enforcement and raises some criminal penalties has received unanimous approval by the North Carolina Senate.  The measure approved on Wednesday is largely written by Republicans but reflects input from Democrats and an array of outside groups and law enforcement organizations. The bill now goes to the House, where legislators have approved their own police reforms, The bill also makes changes to the police body camera laws in light of the shooting death of Andrew Brown Jr. in Elizabeth City last month.

EDUCATION BILL-TEACHING RACE-NORTH CAROLINA

North Carolina House approves bill to limit teaching of race

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina House members voted on Wednesday to curb the teaching of “critical race theory.” The framework examines how race and racism influence American politics, culture and law. Republicans in North Carolina quickly approved the bill ahead of a looming deadline. Their action follows a trend of other GOP-led states across the country seeking to limit how students are taught to think about race and racism. Democrats accuse GOP leaders of trying to rewrite history. Republicans say the measure is intended to ensure people are treated equitably and has nothing to do with banning history from being taught.

MARRIAGE LAWS

NC’s minimum marriage age rises to 16 in bill OK’d by Senate

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The state Senate has given unanimous approval to legislation raising the minimum age to get married in North Carolina from 14 to 16. Sponsors of the measure approved Wednesday say it reflects a compromise from the original bill, which would have raised the minimum age to 18. Some senators were unhappy with that measure or a later version that would have still allowed 14-year-olds to marry. The bill now headed to the House would still require 16- and 17-year-olds to get either written parental consent or a judge’s order to marry. The young person’s spouse could be no more than four years older.

PIPELINE-CYBERSECURITY ATTACK

Colonial Pipeline restarts operations days after major hack

CLEMMONS, N.C. (AP) — The nation’s largest fuel pipeline restarted operations, days after it was forced to shut down by a gang of hackers. The disruption caused long lines at gas stations in the Southeast due to distribution problems and panic-buying, draining supplies at thousands of gas stations. Colonial Pipeline said all lines, including those lateral lines that have been running manually, will return to normal operations. But it will take several days for deliveries to return to normal. In the meantime, drivers have been finding gas stations with little or no gas in some Southeast states.

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