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Trump To Hold 2020 Rally On Day Of Mueller's Testimony
President Donald Trump will be holding a campaign rally in North Carolina on July 17 — the day that former special counsel Robert Mueller is expected to testify before Congress.
Trump's reelection campaign has announced he will host a "Keep America Great" rally at Williams Arena in Greenville that evening.
US Won't Impose Rule To Protect Against Coal Ash Spill Costs
The Trump administration says it won't require electric utilities to show they have money to clean up hazardous releases from power plants despite a history of toxic coal ash spills that have contaminated waterways.
Environmental Protection Agency officials said Tuesday that modern industry practices and recently enacted regulations are sufficient to shield taxpayers from potential cleanup costs.
The finding comes after the EPA last year reversed a related proposal under President Barack Obama that would have imposed new financial requirements on the hardrock mining industry.
Files From Dead Mapmaker Focus Of NC Redistricting Hearing
Legal admissibility of documents recovered from the house of a recently deceased Republican mapmaker is the focus of a hearing in a partisan gerrymandering redistricting lawsuit in North Carolina.
Lawyers in the case argued before judges Tuesday, just days after the U.S. Supreme Court declared it had no authority to rule on partisan gerrymandering claims.
This case continues because it's in North Carolina state court and addresses alleged state constitution violations.
The hearing focused largely on computer files the lawyers for Common Cause, the state Democratic Party and voters subpoenaed from the daughter of the late Tom Hofeller and want to use in the July 15 trial. Attorneys for Republican lawmakers who drew General Assembly maps say the documents can't be properly authenticated because Hofeller is dead.
Lawmakers Propose Legislation To Reduce Testing In NC Public Schools
North Carolina lawmakers are proposing several changes that would overhaul the state's testing requirements for public schools.
Many educators have raised concerns over high-stakes standardized tests. Proposed legislation would eliminate nearly two-dozen state exams.
The House and Senate have both passed their own bills to reduce testing.
Lawmakers say this will give educators more time to focus on teaching methods and make the testing process less stressful for both teachers and students.
Some of the proposed changes include eliminating the use of the state's final exam as part of the testing program to assess teacher performance and professional growth.
North Carolina Rural Hospitals Loan Program Passes Senate
Struggling North Carolina rural hospitals could get taxpayer-funded loans to help them stay open while they downsize or reshape services in legislation getting bipartisan support in the state Senate.
The chamber voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday for the measure that would create a Rural Health Care Stabilization Fund.
Senate leader Phil Berger is the chief advocate of the bill now heading to the House. He says loans with favorable terms could provide a financial bridge to hospitals trying to change with the times but that are in the red.
North Carolina, US Mottos On New State Standard Plate
North Carolina vehicle owners now have another option from which to choose when it comes to the state's regularly priced license plate.
The Division of Motor Vehicles began offering a third standard plate this week.
Previously motorists could choose between the "First in Flight" background or the "First in Freedom" theme, which refers to pre-Revolutionary War events. Now they can pick a plate with the national motto "In God We Trust" at the top and the state motto "To Be Rather Than To Seem" near the bottom. A 2018 law directed that DMV create the new option.
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