Another North Carolina Redistricting Lawsuit Back In Court
Another challenge to North Carolina's 2011 legislative districts based on accusations of racial gerrymandering is back in court.
Three federal judges scheduled a Monday hearing in Greensboro to hear motions in the lawsuit filed by registered voters against the state and legislative leaders.
They say lines drawn by Republican lawmakers for nearly 30 House and Senate districts are illegal because they relied too much on race.
The plaintiffs want the districts blocked from use in 2016 and want candidate filing delayed until after updated boundaries are set. But attorneys for the state say the judges should delay decisions until other redistricting litigation is resolved.
There are three pending redistricting cases in courts. The boundaries have never been struck down and were used in the 2012 and 2014 elections.
Greensboro Welcomes Syrian Refugees
In the wake of controversy surrounding Syrian refugee resettlement, faith leaders and others will host an event in Greensboro Monday to talk about the issue.
The press conference and welcoming event for Syrian refugees will be hosted by Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faith leaders, in coordination with other organizations that work with refugees in the state.
The issue of refugee resettlement has taken center stage in the wake of the ISIS attacks in Paris and Beirut.
Governor Pat McCrory has asked President Obama to temporarily suspend Syrian resettlement over security concerns.
But local resettlement agencies have come out against that stance, saying it's creating an unnecessary sense of fear and putting more burdens on vulnerable people.
The Greensboro welcome event takes place Monday at First Presbyterian Church.
Trayvon Martin's Father In Winston-Salem
The father of Trayvon Martin was in Winston-Salem Sunday to speak to a church gathering. Trayvon Martin died in a high-profile shooting when he was shot by a neighborhood watch volunteer in Florida three years ago. His father Tracy now speaks out against what he calls “senseless violence".
The man who killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was charged with murder but was ultimately acquitted. His father says he's no longer seeking justice.
“Justice for us isn't going to come. What we're seeking now is to change the paradigm.”
That means spotlighting cases like Martin's that haven't gotten the same attention. He says it also means looking at root causes of violent crime, including the drug trade.
“Whether someone gets killed by the police, by a neighborhood watch captain or a drug dealer, there's still a family that's suffering.”
Tracy Martin was in Winston-Salem to speak to members of Unity Baptist Church, as part of a graduation program for the church's Corner to Corner anti-drug program.
Chapel Hill To Honor A UNC Professor Who Won Nobel Prize
Chapel Hill is planning to honor a UNC professor who won the 2015 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.
The mayor and Town Council will give a key to the city to Dr. Aziz Sancar, who earned the award this year for work on mapping cellular mechanisms related to DNA repair.
The ceremony will take place 7 p.m. Monday.
Sancar is a native of Turkey who's been a professor at the university since 1982. He's also a Chapel Hill resident.
Newton Throws 5 Tds, Unbeaten Panthers Top Redskins 44-16
Cam Newton threw a career-high five touchdowns passes, and the Carolina Panthers improved to 10-0 on the season with a 44-16 win over the Washington Redskins on Sunday.
Newton completed 21 of 34 passes for 246 yards and threw TD passes to five different receivers as Carolina stretched its regular-season win streak to 14 games, including eighth straight at home.
The Panthers (10-0) scored 27 points off five Washington turnovers, three of those by quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Newton became the first Carolina quarterback in franchise history to throw four TD passes in the first half as the Panthers jumped out to a 31-14 lead.
Jonathan Stewart ran for 102 yards on 21 carries and caught a 12-yard touchdown pass. Mike Tolbert, Greg Olsen, Ted Ginn Jr. and Devin Funchess also caught TD passes.
Andre Roberts had a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown for the Redskins (4-6), who've lost nine straight on the road.