North Carolina Warily Watching 2 Tropical Weather Systems
Officials say a tropical storm is already forming off the coast of North Carolina's Outer Banks. It's expected to bring up to 45 mph winds and heavy rain that could flood low-lying areas.
The tropical depression was about 115 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras on Tuesday morning with top sustained winds of 35 mph. Officials say it's expected to become a tropical storm by Tuesday but not grow any stronger.
Beachgoers, boat captains and business owners are warily watching to see if the storm washes out one of the summer's last busy weeks.
Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami also say another tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico could hit northern Florida as a tropical storm later in the week and possibly head toward the Atlantic coast.
Abortion-Rights Activists Say They're Keeping Eye On McCrory
Abortion-rights advocates remain suspicious of Gov. Pat McCrory about protecting access to the procedure and want him to know they're still watching his actions.
The activists say they'll deliver Tuesday to McCrory's office a petition telling him he should stop enacting what they call unnecessary barriers to safe and legal abortions. The state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is assembling the event.
Since taking office, McCrory has signed laws extending the abortion waiting period from one to three days and directing the state Department of Health and Human Services to update abortion clinic regulations. Another law he signed directed physicians who perform certain later-term abortions to send ultrasound images to state officials.
Appeal For More Relief For North Carolina Transgender People
Advocacy groups are asking an appeals court to expand a favorable ruling on transgender restroom access to cover people across North Carolina.
Their move comes after a federal judge ruled preliminarily that two transgender students and an employee must be allowed to use restrooms matching their gender identity at University of North Carolina campuses. He'll make his final decision after the case goes to trial in November.
The advocacy groups said Monday the injunction is an important step, but they're asking a federal appeals court to extend protections to all of North Carolina's transgender residents.
State Attorneys Repeat Why Voting Law Must Be Enforced
Attorneys for North Carolina have gotten in one last set of arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court about why a voter identification mandate and 10 days of early voting should be enforced this fall.
A supplemental brief filed Monday reiterates why the court should delay a federal appeals court ruling that struck down the ID requirement and returned early voting to 17 days. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided the 2013 law was approved with discriminatory intent.
Monday's brief says making election rules different from what was used for the state's primaries this year would cause voter confusion. The brief responded to last week's filing by those who originally sued over the law.
Judge Weighs If North Carolina Man Wrongly Convicted Of Murders
Lawyers for a man who has spent 21 years in prison for a double murder are trying to show a judge that he didn't commit the crimes.
Attorneys for Darryl Howard say he was wrongly convicted by insufficient DNA evidence and misconduct by police and prosecutors, including ex-district attorney Mike Nifong, who was disbarred for his handling of the Duke University lacrosse case.
A judge is hearing three days of arguments beginning Monday and will decide if Howard deserves a new trial. Howard was sentenced to 80 years in prison in 1995 after being convicted in the strangling of a North Carolina woman and her 13-year-old daughter.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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