ACE Speedway isn’t the only racetrack defying Gov. Roy Cooper’s executive orders against mass gatherings. In rural Stokes County, 311 Speedway owner Mike Fulp is planning a protest with several hundred people, live music, and racing on Saturday, June 13. Fulp wants to reopen his race track, and he says the governor is acting like...
The Cooper administration supports North Carolinians’ right to gather and peacefully protest in the wake of the horrific death of George Floyd, officials say, even as the spread of COVID-19 remains a concern. Their messaging has changed. More than a month ago, the administration opposed mass gatherings when activists converged on Raleigh to push Gov....
The N.C. Craft Brewers Guild is among those, including Carolina Journal, seeking clarification from Gov. Roy Cooper about the fate of breweries, wineries, and distilleries. Gov. Roy Cooper issued an executive order Wednesday, May 20, allowing a partial reopening of some businesses under what he termed a “Safer at Home Phase Two” to combat the...
Even though Gov. Roy Cooper has allowed open salons and barber shops to reopen partially this week, salon owners still may file a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of his COVID-19 orders. The Hair Is Essential Association would base its challenge on the state constitution’s clause ensuring the right of North Carolinians to the “enjoyment of...
As Republican lawmakers fight Gov. Roy Cooper over the COVID-19 economic lockdowns, even their approach to news briefings has diverged. Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, held an in-person news conference Monday, May 18. But secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Mandy Cohen says she will continue virtual briefings as she encourages...
North Carolina is asking nursing homes to begin regular, proactive testing for the coronavirus. As of Friday, May 15, some 60% of COVID-19 deaths in North Carolina were linked to nursing homes and long-term care facilities, said Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of N.C. Health and Human Services, in a news conference. The state has expanded...
The Cooper administration may be inviting Medicaid fraud, thanks to an executive order the governor issued Tuesday, May 12. Among other things, the order lets state officials suspend or modify checks that ensure people who apply for Medicaid — the government health insurance program for low-income parents, children, the elderly, and the disabled — are...
COVID-19 trends are headed in the right direction, Gov. Roy Cooper said Thursday, April 30, but North Carolinians are going to be at home at least a week longer — and most shuttered businesses won’t be up-and-running again anytime soon. For some, that’s too long to wait. On Wednesday, April 29, the Gaston County Board...
UPDATED with statements from Lt. Gov. Dan Forest and Senate leader Phil Berger. North Carolinians face a few more months of at least partial isolation, based on recommendations Gov. Roy Cooper made at a Thursday, April 23, news conference. The governor extended his stay-at-home order, imposed March 27 to limit the spread of COVID-19, from...
Expect Gov. Roy Cooper to set new limits on shopping alongside new benefits for child care centers serving health care and other “essential” workers. At a Coronavirus Task Force briefing Tuesday, April 7, Cooper also defended the Division of Employment Security as it faces withering criticism for its slow handling of unemployment insurance claims. Cooper...
Worries about the safety of health care workers and the shortage of protective gear dominated the second meeting of the House Select Committee on COVID-19 Health Care Working Group on Thursday, April 2. North Carolina has just 30% of the protective equipment providers need across the state. Fourteen pallets of PPE are headed to the...
