SUPREME COURT-AFFIRMATIVE ACTION-EXPLAINER
EXPLAINER: Supreme Court takes up race in college admissions
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — The Supreme Court has agreed to review a challenge to the consideration of race in college admission decisions, often known as affirmative action. With three new conservative justices on the court since its last review, the practice may be facing its greatest threat yet. The court said Monday it would consider a pair of lawsuits alleging that Harvard University and the University of North Carolina discriminate against Asian American applicants. The court has generally upheld the practice of considering race, but with limits. Supporters say it helps bring a diverse mix of students to campus, while opponents say it’s a form of discrimination.
STATE PARK VISITORS
NC state park system reports record 22.8M visitors in 2021
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s state parks system saw a record number of visitors last year. WRAL-TV reports that the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources says 22.8 million visitors entered the system’s 41 parks, recreation areas and natural areas. That’s a 15% increase from the 19.8 million visitors in 2020, when visits surged as more people sought outdoor activities amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Jockey’s Ridge State Park was 2021′s most visited park with more than 1.8 million guests. The second most frequented park, Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, saw 84% growth from its nearly 877,000 visitors in 2020. The 2021 numbers reflect even greater interest among the public to visit even after Covid-19 vaccines had become widely available.
AP-US-DRUG-CARTEL-GUN-SMUGGLING
6 charged with bid to smuggle arsenal to Mexican drug cartel
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Authorities say six men have been charged with plotting to smuggle assault weapons and hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition to one of Mexico’s most violent drug cartels. The U.S. attorney’s office says a man from Whittier, California led a ring that purchased weapons, gun parts and ammo including armor piercing bullets from Oregon, Nevada and other states. Federal prosecutors say the men used drug money to buy weapons intended for the notorious Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación. Three pleaded not guilty last week in Los Angeles to conspiracy to violate export laws and other charges.
EDUCATION STUDY
NC House panel meets to examine K-12 education’s future
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A study panel composed of several North Carolina House members and charged with considering wide-ranging changes to K-12 education has held its first meeting. The House Select Committee on an Education System for North Carolina’s Future could spend up to two years examining a host of governance, course-of-study and personnel issues, making recommendations and generating legislation. Any legislation would still have to be acted on by the full House and Senate. The committee heard Monday about the history of education governance in the state and the interplay between the State Board of Education, General Assembly and superintendent of public instruction.
CUSTODY DEATH-LAWSUIT
North Carolina woman sues city, police over brother’s death
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A lawsuit filed by a North Carolina woman says he brother was shackled to a floor while in police custody and didn’t get help from police officers who watched him swallow cocaine, beg for water and tell them he couldn’t breathe. The Charlotte Observer reports Andrell Mackey filed the lawsuit Thursday in Mecklenburg County Superior Court. Mackey’s brother, Harold Easter, died on Jan. 26, 2020, three days after he was arrested and detained in a police station. Named in the lawsuit are five former officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and the city of Charlotte, which is named because it’s responsible for ensuring officers are adequately trained.
SCHOOL CHOICE-COOPER
NC “school choice” proclamation first by Democrat Cooper
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Gov. Roy Cooper has proclaimed “North Carolina School Choice Week” for the first time since the Democrat took over the job more than five years ago. His decision is interesting given Cooper has raised issues over expanding the number of charter schools. And he’s opposed relentlessly efforts to expand the state-funded Opportunity Scholarship Program. Cooper’s spokesperson said the governor signed the proclamation at the request of the North Carolina Association for Public Charter Schools, adding that “educators at all levels” have responded to unprecedented challenges over the past two years. The North Carolina week coincides with National School Choice Week.
SHOOTING-MURDER CHARGE
North Carolina man charged with murder in fatal shooting
LEXINGTON, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina sheriff’s office says a man is charged with felony murder in connection with a shooting death. The Dispatch of Lexington reports 46-year-old David Matthew Cameron of Lexington was charged in the fatal shooting of Ellis Coleman Sr. on a local street. The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office said deputies checked on a call about a shooting late Wednesday. When they arrived, deputies found Coleman with multiple gunshot wounds. He was treated by emergency personnel, but died on the scene. Cameron is jailed without bond.
TEENAGER SHOT
Police: Teenager fatally shot in eastern North Carolina city
ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. (AP) — Police in an eastern North Carolina city are investigating the shooting death of a teenager found inside a home. Rocky Mount officers responding to a shooting report shortly in the early-morning hours Sunday found the 17-year-old with a gunshot wound. He was taken to UNC Nash Health Care, where he was later pronounced dead. Police are investigating what led to the shooting and are seeking help from the public.
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