Clinton, Trump In North Carolina As Days To Campaign Dwindle
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are appealing to North Carolina voters who are undecided or yet to go to the polls.
The major-party presidential candidates scheduled two public appearances each Thursday in the state.
Clinton will speak in the afternoon at Pitt Community College in Winterville to encourage early in-person voting. At night, she will have some help at Walnut Creek amphitheater in Raleigh, with former rival Berne Sanders and hip-hop star Pharrell Williams on the stage with her.
Trump's itinerary includes a late-afternoon rally in Concord and an evening event in Selma.
Friday is also a big day in the state. President Barack Obama is back for events in Charlotte and Fayetteville, while Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence is speaking in Greenville.
Challenged North Carolina Voter Cited By Obama
President Obama cited voter challenges at the heart of an NAACP lawsuit as he urged people at a North Carolina rally to vote.
While campaigning for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in Chapel Hill, Obama mentioned one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges that several counties removed voters in a way that disproportionately targeted blacks.
Obama told the crowd in Chapel Hill about a 100-year-old black woman named Grace Bell Hardison of Beaufort County who had her registration formally challenged, but she rebuffed the effort and preserved her right to vote.
Obama said her story shows why everyone needs to vote.
Unlike Other Vulnerable GOP Senators, Burr Embraces Trump
Sen. Richard Burr tells Republican Party supporters there's no separation between him and Donald Trump, setting himself apart from vulnerable GOP senators keeping their distance from the presidential candidate.
The chairman of the powerful Senate Intelligence Committee is one of Trump's national security advisers. Burr is figuring support for Trump will be key with Republican voters even as North Carolina has grown more urban and less white than his last election in 2010.
Burr also bets his long-time strategy will work again in this year's tight race with Democratic challenger Deborah Ross. He's staying out of the limelight, limiting appearances at public rallies and letting attack ads trash his opponent.
New Kinston Franchise To Be Known As Down East Wood Ducks
The Texas Rangers have announced that the organization's new franchise in the Carolina League will be known as the Down East Wood Ducks.
The team is one of two expansion teams in the league and will mark the return of professional baseball to Kinston for the first time since 2011.
A statement posted to the team's web site on Wednesday said the Wood Ducks were chosen after a contest that drew more than 1,300 entries. Those were reduced to five finalists. The other finalists were Eagles, HamHawks, Hogzillas and Shaggers.
The Wood Ducks will play at Grainger Stadium, which hosted a Carolina League franchise in all but three seasons between 1962 and 2011. The city had hosted an affiliate of the Cleveland Indians from 1987 until 2011.
Batum Breaks Out, Leads Hornets Past 76ers 109-93
Kemba Walker had 22 points, Nicolas Batum scored 17 of 20 points in a pivotal third quarter and the Charlotte Hornets handed the Philadelphia 76ers their fourth straight loss 109-93 on Wednesday night.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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