North Carolina AG Won't Defend Transgender Law In Court
North Carolina's attorney general says he won't defend in court a new state law preventing Charlotte and other local governments from approving protections for LGBT citizens at restaurants, hotels and stores.
Democrat Roy Cooper made the announcement Tuesday, a day after gay rights advocates sued the state to seek to overturn the law. The federal lawsuit lists Cooper among the defendants because of his official position, but he opposes the law and wants it repealed.
McCrory: Attorney General Using Flawed Argument
Gov. Pat McCrory says Attorney General Roy Cooper used a flawed legal argument in deciding not to defend a new law that limits how local governments can pass rules designed to protect LGBT citizens.
McCrory released a video late Tuesday that also explained further his decision to sign the law, now being criticized by dozens of corporate CEOs and the subject of a federal lawsuit.
The governor says the law didn't change the attorney general's internal policies and that he's "inventing conflict that simply doesn't exist." He urged Cooper to reconsider his decision.
Fallout From House Bill 2 Widens
The chief executives running dozens of big technology, biotech and financial companies are urging North Carolina officials to repeal House Bill 2.
The letter released Tuesday by gay rights advocates is signed by corporate chieftains including IBM CEO Virginia Rometty, Apple head Tim Cook and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook.
The letter urges Gov. Pat McCrory and legislative leaders to repeal the law.
Meanwhile, Atlanta city leaders are asking the NBA to move the 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte to Atlanta.
Washington Governor Bans State Travel To North Carolina
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has barred non-essential state-funded travel to North Carolina because of House Bill 2.
Inslee announced the travel ban Tuesday and praised Washington's law that requires buildings open to the public to allow transgender people to use the bathrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity.
An attempt to reverse Washington's rule in the state Legislature this year was voted down in the Republican-controlled Senate.
New York and Vermont have also banned state-funded travel to North Carolina. The mayors of San Francisco and Seattle have barred city employees from traveling to the state.
FBI Warns North Carolina Of Phone Scam Seeking Payments
The FBI is warning North Carolina residents to beware of a telephone scam asking potential victims to repay a school loan, parking ticket or other matter and threatens arrest if the fees aren't paid via MoneyGram.
A statement from the agency's Charlotte office said the scam spoofs FBI office telephone numbers on the victim's caller ID. The scam involves someone claiming to be an FBI agent and demanding repayment and threatens the victim with arrest if the fees are not paid.
Plane Has Emergency Landing Along North Carolina Interstate
An emergency plane landing along a North Carolina interstate loop backed up rush-hour traffic on the north side of Raleigh.
WRAL-TV showed images of a mostly intact single-propeller plane in the grassy median of Interstate 540 Tuesday morning.
The pilot was not hurt.
Westbound lanes of 540 were shut down temporarily.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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