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Morning News Briefs: Tuesday, January 31st, 2017

The North Carolina Senate chamber. Credit: Daderot for Wikipedia

NC Senators To Lay Out Cabinet Confirmation Process

Republicans in the North Carolina state Senate are ready to talk about how the chamber will carry out its new job of formally scrutinizing the governor's Cabinet.

Leaders of a Senate nominations committee scheduled a meeting Tuesday to lay out the confirmation process.

The General Assembly approved a law last month two weeks before Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper took office directing his 10 department heads to be subject to the "advice and consent" by a majority of senators. Cooper says the law is unconstitutional and has sued to try to block it, but there's nothing to prevent senators from moving forward.

The eight Cabinet secretaries Cooper has named to date already are sworn in and are able to perform their duties.

Over 100 Attend PTI Protest Over Trump's Refugee Ban

A crowd of more than 100 people gathered at the Piedmont Triad International Airport Monday night to protest President Trump's executive action restricting entry into the U.S.

The News and Record of Greensboro reports the crowd included older people, college students and families with children.

The protest was organized by Winston-Salem charter school teacher Peter Wilbur and Eric Ellison, chairman of the Forsyth County Democrats.

Participants held signs, chanted and spoke out against religious discrimination.

Duke: It Won't Release Student Records Without Subpoena

Duke University's top administrators are reminding students the school will not provide confidential records to law enforcement officials without a subpoena.

The News & Observer of Raleigh reports that Duke administrators issued a statement Sunday calling President Trump's immigration order "confusing and disturbing."

Duke President Richard Brodhead and Provost Sally Kornbluth said in a statement that the school is committed to and enriched by the open exchange of students, scholars and ideas around the world.

4 Women Charged With Anti-Trump Graffiti In Boone

Police have arrested four women and charged them with painting anti-Trump graffiti around Boone.

A number of businesses and one police car were painted Jan. 21.

The police department said the four Boone women were arrested late last week and charged with seven counts of misdemeanor graffiti and one count of damaging personal property.

The women are 22-year-old Taryn Bledsoe, 22-year-old Julia Grainger, 22-year-old Elizabeth Prier, and 21-year-old Hannah Seay.

Officers had said several people had painted "Black Lives Matter," anti-Trump and anti-police slogans, causing damage of about $10,000.

High Point University Announces Name For New Arena

High Point University has announced it will name its new basketball arena and conference center for its president and his wife.

The school said in a news release Monday that the new arena will be named for President Nido Qubein and his wife, Mariana.

The facility will include a small hotel and will be built on campus. School officials said they are considering several sites on land they already own.

Construction is expected to start during the 2018-19 academic year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Neal Charnoff joined 88.5 WFDD as Morning Edition host in 2014. Raised in the Catskill region of upstate New York, he graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1983. Armed with a liberal arts degree, Neal was fully equipped to be a waiter. So he prolonged his arrested development bouncing around New York and L.A. until discovering that people enjoyed listening to his voice on the radio. After a few years doing overnight shifts at a local rock station, Neal spent most of his career at Vermont Public Radio. He began as host of a nightly jazz program, where he was proud to interview many of his idols, including Dave Brubeck and Sonny Rollins. Neal graduated to the news department, where he was the local host for NPR's All Things Considered for 14 years. In addition to news interviews and features, he originated and produced the Weekly Conversation On The Arts, as well as VPR Backstage, which profiled theater productions around the state. He contributed several stories to NPR, including coverage of a devastating ice storm. Neal now sees the value of that liberal arts degree, and approaches life with the knowledge that all subjects and all art forms are connected to each other. Neal and his wife Judy are enjoying exploring North Carolina and points south. They would both be happy to never experience a Vermont winter again.

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