Supreme Court OKs Appointing "Substitute Justice" To Fill In
The North Carolina Supreme Court says it can bring back a retired justice to help out when a current justice is recused or disqualified from hearing a specific case.
The state's highest court adopted last week a rule governing litigation before it to avoid possible 3-3 deadlocks on the usually seven-member court. The court system said Tuesday such divided situations have previously prevented the Supreme Court from resolving important issues and state law.
Justices in recent years have been equally divided on cases involving retention elections for justices and gubernatorial powers. The lower-court rulings stood.
State Board Investigates Bladen Absentee Ballots
The State Board of Elections says it's investigating irregularities with mail-in absentee ballots received in a southeastern North Carolina county for this fall's election.
Board spokesman Patrick Gannon confirmed Tuesday the investigation of the Bladen County ballots is continuing.
The ballots are the subject of a formal election protest that Republican Gov. Pat McCrory's campaign announced was filed late Tuesday at the Bladen elections board by a winning candidate for soil and water conservation district supervisor.
The protest says hundreds of ballots may have been cast unlawfully to influence races large and small. The McCrory campaign alleges the ballots were supposed to help Democrats.
North Carolina Finally Amends Family's Birth Certificates
A married couple in North Carolina will finally get birth certificates listing both of them as parents of their two sons, more than a year after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that everyone has a fundamental right to the legal recognition marriage provides to families and children.
Lambda Legal says Melissa and Meredith Weiss secured court orders recognizing them both as parents of their boys in October 2014, but the state Department of Health and Human Services refused to amend their birth certificate accordingly.
Reynolds Rejects Buyout Bid
Tobacco giant Reynolds American has reportedly rejected a multi-billion dollar buyout offer from British American Tobacco.
The move isn't necessarily a surprise.
Last month, Reynolds received an offer of $47 billion from British American Tobacco to acquire the Winston-Salem based company. BAT already holds a significant stake in Reynolds.
But according to sources cited by Bloomberg News, the offer was too low. Analysts say the initial price was a starting point for negotiation, and sources close to the deal say BAT may be willing to raise its offer.
If the acquisition goes through, it would create the largest publicly-traded tobacco firm in the world.
Music, Program Director For Billy Graham Dies At 93
Cliff Barrows, the long-time music and program director for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, has died after a brief illness. He was 93.
A statement from the association said Barrows died Tuesday at Carolinas Medical Center-Pineville.
The two men met in 1945 while Barrows was on his honeymoon, and together they went on to form the association. Barrows traveled the world with Graham since his first crusade in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1947. Barrows also hosted the weekly Hour of Decision radio program for more than 60 years.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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