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Tag: Reuben Jones

  • Crowded Republican field lines up to take on Democrat Don Davis

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    It’s a small group at the Nashville Exchange in Nash County on a Monday night, a little more than two weeks before the North Carolina primary election. But each person here is a dedicated Republican and an almost certain voter.

    What You Need To Know

    • Five Republicans are running in North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District primary

    • The district was recently redrawn to benefit the Republican Party

    • The winner of the Republican primary will challenge Democratic Rep. Don Davis


    They are hearing from two of the Republicans running in the state’s 1st Congressional District. It’s a race with national attention because the party thinks it can flip the seat red for the first time in more than 140 years.

    Issues in this district include farming, where tobacco is very prevalent, health care, there’s been a number of hospital closures, and poverty. While there’s been a decline in the poverty rate, eastern North Carolina has some of the highest rates in the state.

    There’s a flood of Republicans running in the primary, which is March 3. The number of candidates makes it hard to predict who could win.

    President Donald Trump, an influential voice in Republican primaries, has not endorsed a candidate.

    “He’s really proven over and over to be a kingmaker in Republican politics,” said East Carolina University political science professor Peter Francia. “If he had decided to endorse one of the candidates, then I think we would be able to say with a lot of confidence that that candidate had a really good chance of winning.”

    Related: A closer look at N.C.’s only toss-up congressional House race

    Of the five Republicans running, the candidate who’s probably received the most attention is Laurie Buckhout.

    Democratic Rep. Don Davis is seeking reelection in the 1st Congressional District. (AP File Photo/David Yeazell)

    She ran for the seat in 2024, losing to Democratic Rep. Don Davis by two points. Despite the loss she has name recognition. She’s a retired Army colonel who recently served as acting assistant secretary of war for cyber policy in the Trump administration.

    Asa Buck is the longtime sheriff of Carteret County and is well-known in parts of the district.

    State Sen. Bobby Hanig represents some of this U.S. House district in the General Assembly and runs a pool cleaning and maintenance business in Currituck.

    Eric Rouse is a construction business owner who lives in Kinston and is a Lenoir County commissioner.

    And Ashley-Nicole Russell is a family law attorney with offices throughout the state.

    “The high number of candidates means there’s always the potential that a candidate doesn’t reach 30%, and in that case we have a runoff,” Francia told Spectrum News 1. “But my suspicion is that there will be a candidate who exceeds 30%.”

    Spectrum News 1 spoke with a number of voters at a poll site in Nash County.

    “I’ve met Laurie a couple of different times and I feel like her service to our country and I know that she has worked for Trump and I believe she is dedicated and loyal,” said JoAnn Everette, who said she voted for Buckhout.

    “Reducing it down to the top two would have been Laurie Buckhout and Asa Buck. I consider both of them to be near equals in different categories,” said Jerry Barnes. “The deciding factor for me was based on who stood the best chance in beating Don Davis and I felt that was Asa Buck.”

    The winner of the Republican primary will take on Davis, who’s vying for his third term.

    Davis is arguably one of the most moderate Democrats in the U.S. House and has a record of winning in the district.

    This November could be Davis’ toughest election because Republicans in the state legislature recently redrew the district boundaries to heavily favor their party’s candidate. It was part of the rare move of mid-decade redistricting that a number of states have taken in the country, started by Texas at Trump’s urging.

    “In this new map I think any political expert would tell you that the Republicans have a very good chance of winning the district this time around,” Francia said about the new 1st Congressional District.

    The district is wide, stretching from the Virginia border to the Democratic area of Rocky Mount and now the Republican stronghold of the Outer Banks.

    “In the 40 years that we’ve lived here we’ve been redistricted a lot of times, so it’s just a matter of OK, what’s coming up next,” said Republican voter Cynthia Carpenter.

    With so many candidates in the Republican primary, this race could be close as the GOP smells a chance to flip a blue seat to try to keep control of the U.S. House in November.

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

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    Reuben Jones

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  • Trump extends FEMA Review Council charter

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    WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has signed an executive order extending the FEMA Review Council’s charter 60 days, the White House announced Friday night.

    Saturday marks one year since Trump signed a different executive order creating the council to advise him on what to do with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including whether to eliminate it.

    What You Need To Know

    • President Donald Trump has signed an executive order extending the FEMA Review Council’s charter 60 days, the White House announced Friday night
    • Saturday marks one year since President Donald Trump signed an executive order creating a council to advise him on what to do with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including whether to eliminate it

    • The council’s charter called for the FEMA Review Council to end its operations after one year unless the president extended the deadline

    • That deadline had been Saturday — but the council’s report, containing its findings and recommendations, has not been publicly released

    • Trump said last year, “I think we’re going to recommend that FEMA go away, and we pay directly, we pay a percentage to the state, and the state should fix it”

    The council’s charter called for the FEMA Review Council to end its operations after one year. That deadline had been Saturday. The council’s report, containing its findings and recommendations, has not been publicly released.

    A spokesperson for Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, who serves on the council, told Spectrum News council members previously reviewed and unanimously supported their report.

    But the council’s scheduled meeting in December, when the report was expected to be released, was canceled.

    At the time a White House official told Spectrum News the meeting was canceled because “White House officials had not been fully briefed on the latest draft of the report, despite some officials at (the Department of Homeland Security) thinking they had been.”

    More than a month later, it’s unclear when or if the report will be issued.

    A spokesperson for Castor told Spectrum News the mayor hadn’t heard anything as of Friday regarding the council since the canceled meeting.

    The council’s charter states, “The Council shall terminate on January 24, 2026, unless extended by the President.”

    Trump created the council after ripping the agency during a trip to western North Carolina shortly after his inauguration last January. He traveled to the state to meet with officials as the area recovered from Tropical Storm Helene the previous September.

    “I think we’re going to recommend that FEMA go away, and we pay directly, we pay a percentage to the state, and the state should fix it,” he said.

    The council is chaired by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Members of the council include Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, former Gov. Glen Youngkin of Virginia and former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley.

    Editor’s Note: This article was updated after the White House announced the council’s termination date was extended. (Jan. 24, 2026)

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  • Watchdog report finds concerns over potential FEMA changes

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    The nonpartisan watchdog arm of Congress finds praise among local and state officials over how the Federal Emergency Management Agency initially responded to Tropical Storm Helene.

    This comes as the Trump administration has delayed its report on whether to eliminate or shrink the agency.

    What You Need To Know

    • President Donald Trump has had his sights on FEMA since taking office last January

    • The watchdog said doubts about the agency’s future have left many state and local officials concerned

    • Trump created a FEMA Review Council but it hasn’t released a final report

    The watchdog said doubts about the agency’s future have left many state and local officials concerned.

    President Donald Trump has had his sights on FEMA since taking office last January.

    “I think we’re going to recommend that FEMA go away and we pay a percentage to the state,” Trump said during a visit to North Carolina in January 2025.

    His opinion of FEMA is reflected in part by his criticism of the agency’s response to Tropical Storm Helene in western North Carolina.

    But a new report by the nonpartisan U.S. Government Accountability Office found support for how FEMA initially handled the storm.

    “We talked to state and local officials, and they were very, very complimentary of the support, the coordination, they were getting from FEMA. FEMA was there all along.” said GAO Director Chris Currie.

    Currie wrote the report, which was based on 50 interviews with local, state and federal officials, including in North Carolina and other states battered by the storm.

    FEMA’s future has been uncertain ever since Trump created a review council to look at what to do with the agency, including possibly disbanding its current form.

    The council was expected to release its recommendations in December, but the report was delayed. A month later, it’s unclear when or if the report will actually come out. Spectrum News asked the White House and DHS, FEMA’s parent agency, when that report might be released but did not get an answer by deadline.

    “They don’t know what to prepare for. That’s the biggest concern I think states have right now,” Currie said.

    Currie said it’s also put FEMA officials in a difficult spot.

    “It is clear to me right now they are a little bit hamstrung in what they can do and what they can say about the future because they’re waiting on the council report,” Currie said. “They don’t know what their mandate is going to be from the administration in terms of change.”

    The report said at least one state is preparing contingency plans, including for potential reductions in federal assistance.

    “FEMA and the federal government provided a tremendous amount of support to state and local governments, and so if you were to yank that away, or to change that drastically without the states having an opportunity to prepare, that could be very bad,” Currie said.

    Although the report found praise for FEMA’s initial handling of Helene, Currie said there is across the board agreement that changes should be made to FEMA, specifically when it comes to long-term response.

    “No doubt there is a lot of frustration with FEMA,” Currie said. “People are very frustrated with the bureaucracy, the slowness of the monies, the grants, the back and forth, the fighting with FEMA on reconstruction projects.”

    The concern, Currie said, is what changes the administration will choose to make, especially coming off a slow hurricane season.

    “There may be changes made or staff reductions made, based on assumptions that states don’t need as much support, or states can handle this on their own and we don’t find out that they actually can’t until something bad actually happens,” Currie said. 

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  • Nida Allam challenging Rep. Valerie Foushee in Democratic rematch

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    Durham County Vice Chair Nida Allam is launching her campaign for the Democratic primary in North Carolina’s 4th Congressional District.

    What You Need To Know

    • Durham County Vice Chair Nida Allam says she will challenge U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee

    • Foushee represents the 4th Congressional District, which includes the city of Durham

    • Allam in 2022 ran against Foushee, who won the Democratic primary by 9 percentage points

    She will challenge incumbent Democratic Rep. Valerie Foushee, who is seeking a third term. She has represented the district since 2023.

    “I’m running for Congress because in a moment when our community faces dueling crises of Republican authoritarianism and corporate billionaire greed, we need leaders in Washington who will actually fight to deliver the brighter future we deserve and desperately need,” Allam said in a statement announcing her candidacy. “We cannot wait three more years pretending that a status quo that is failing us today will protect our communities tomorrow.”

    Allam’s candidacy sets up a rematch between the two Democrats.

    In 2022, Foushee beat Allam by 9 percentage points in the Democratic primary for the right to succeed retiring Democratic U.S. Rep. David Price. 

    Since then, Republicans who control the state legislature have redrawn the state’s congressional districts twice, to tilt more races in favor of their party. But the 4th District remains heavily Democratic.

    For the 2026 election, the 4th District will include the Democratic strongholds of Durham, Carrboro and Hillsborough. Foushee won re-election in 2024 with roughly 72% of the vote, trouncing her Republican opponent.

    The district’s Democratic primary in 2022 included former American Idol contestant Clay Aiken, drawing national attention. The race showed the divide between progressive and centrist Democrats, a division that will be on display again.

    On Thursday, Allam announced endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders and organizations including Justice Democrats and Leaders We Deserve, which was co-founded by David Hogg.

    In a statement to Spectrum News 1 Rep. Foushee said, “You can look at my record to show that I am not just paying lip service to our shared progressive values but instead working to advance legislation like the ICE Badge Visibility Act, the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, and the Block the Bombs Act…. Over the next few months I look forward to earning the support of the voters of the Fourth District and continuing to serve as their voice in Washington for another term.” 

    Foushee said she has received endorsements from Gov. Josh Stein and Democrats including Reps. Alma Adams and Deborah Ross.

    Allam, 31, has served on the Durham Board of County Commissioners since December 2020. She grew up in Wake County and was the first Muslim elected to public office in North Carolina.

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  • Lumbees push for federal recognition in Senate hearing

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    For the first time since 2021, North Carolina’s Lumbee Tribe made its case in a Senate hearing that it should be granted federal recognition.

    Wednesday’s hearing could be a positive step for the tribe, which has long sought the designation from Congress. 

    Designation would make the tribe eligible for additional federal dollars.

    What You Need To Know

    • Lumbee federal tribe recognition was the focus of a Senate hearing Wednesday

    • The North Carolina tribe has pushed Congress for recognition for years, but it always has stalled in the Senate

    • Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina testified in support of recognition before the committee

    Senators on Wednesday held a hearing on a bill, sponsored by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, that would grant the tribe recognition.

    “This issue has come before Congress many times over the decades but never with this level of unity and support. These days it’s rare to see Republicans and Democrats come together on anything. But when it comes to Lumbee recognition, the support is overwhelming and it’s bipartisan,” Tillis told the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.

    The Senate has always been the place where efforts to achieve Lumbee recognition have stalled, but it has support from President Donald Trump. It also had support from former President Joe Biden.

    Before the hearing, a number of lawmakers from the state, including Tillis, joined the Lumbees to show their support.

    But seeking recognition through Congress is controversial.

    Numerous tribes, including the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, have spoken out against it. The Eastern Band has said there are more than a hundred tribes in the country that oppose the Lumbees going through Congress for recognition.

    The Eastern Band argues the Lumbees can’t demonstrate Native ancestry and if they want recognition they should go through the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs process, not Congress.

    “This issue in North Carolina has become so emotional and politically driven that it takes away from the true process that should be doing the evaluation… we just don’t feel that Congress has the tools to be able to look at the details of the merit… we need experts to make the determination,” Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Chair Michell Hicks told Spectrum News.

    Hicks worries about the impact if the Senate approves Lumbee recognition. The bill has already passed the House.

    “I think it potentially opens Pandora’s box because of not properly reviewing the requests, and that’s very concerning for identities in a lot of Indian country,” Hicks said.

    The Lumbee chair said Wednesday that the process run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs takes too long and expressed concerns that if it went through that path, it could end up in court.

    A few senators reiterated the power of Congress when it comes to granting recognition.

    “If you want to make the argument that we need to build a historical record and you trust this agency within an agency more than you trust us that’s fine, that’s fair. But this is still our authority,” said Sen. Brian Schatz, a Hawaii Democrat.

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

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  • Jeff Jackson announces lawsuit against Trump over SNAP benefits

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    RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina and more than 20 other states are suing the Trump administration for pausing federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Food Assistance Program.

    Democratic N.C Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced the lawsuit in a press conference in Raleigh on Tuesday.

    “It’s unlawful, and we’re going to do everything we can to fight it,” Jackson said of funds not being released. 

    There are 1.4 million North Carolina residents rely on the program to put food on the table, but the Trump Administration said the program will run out of money Saturday unless the federal shutdown ends.

    The program still has reserve funds, but Republicans say that money is not legally available because it is reserved for emergencies, like disasters.

    On Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson added there “has to be a preexisting appropriation for the contingency funding to be used, and Democrats blocked that contingency.”

    But Democrats say the Trump Administration should use the roughly $6 billion that are in the contingency funds for SNAP.

    “The department is choosing not to use the emergency money that they’ve been given. I believe the reason they’re doing that is to play shutdown politics. They are looking to ratchet up the pain in a already painful moment. This is wrong and it’s against the law,” Jackson said.

    Responding to the lawsuit, Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on CNN, “I find it very rich that they are suing the Trump Administration because their friends on the Hill won’t vote yes to keep the government.”

    On Monday, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein posted on X: “The administration’s refusal to use these available funds as temperatures cool and the Thanksgiving holiday approaches is a cruel abdication of the responsibility to support families and communities.”

    Last week Jackson signed onto a letter with other state attorneys general asking why reserve funding can’t be used and they laid out a series of questions asking for the agency to respond by Monday.

    “We are asking the court to act with emergency speed to meet this emergency. i think there is a very good chance that we get a favorable ruling that puts this on hold relatively soon. I hope that it happens before November 1, there is some chance of this theoretically, but we are asking the court to act as quickly as possible given the circumstances,” he said.

     

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  • Eastern N.C. representatives debate political future with new map

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    One of the members of Congress most impacted by North Carolina’s new congressional map has made a decision about his political future while the other is debating what congressional district to run in.

    What You Need To Know

    • U.S. Reps. Don Davis and Greg Murphy are most affected by North Carolina’s new congressional map

    • Murphy, a Republican, is going to run in District 3, but Davis, a Democrat, hasn’t decided whether he’ll run in the District 1 or District 3

    • North Carolina GOP lawmakers who redrew the map in the middle of the decade say they aim to to gain another House seat for Republicans 

    The two members most impacted are Democrat Rep. Don Davis, who represents District 1, and Rep. Greg Murphy, a Republican who represents District 3. Both districts are in eastern North Carolina.

    The new map swaps a number of counties, resulting in District 1 becoming much more Republican and harder for Davis to win and District 3 losing some of its Republican counties but still remaining a pretty solid Republican district.

    On Wednesday Murphy announced that, despite major changes to the district, he will run for reelection in District 3. 

    “This has been very hard. I’ll be very open about that because literally the new state maps split the district right in half,” Murphy told Spectrum News 1. “I’m a data person. We went down and did the data and looked at a lot of this stuff and I’m going to run as the incumbent in District 3.”

    Murphy said he was disappointed there were so many changes to his current district resulting in the coastal counties moving into District 1. Beaufort, Carteret, Craven, Dare, Hyde, Pamlico and Onslow counties move from District 3 to District 1. 

    “I wasn’t happy about it. I’ll be very transparent about that. These are interests I’ve represented for a very long time,” Murphy said. “This is kind of like many times you’re all of a sudden with somebody, with all these groups and then arbitrary lines change it the other way.”

    Murphy said the White House didn’t have influence on what district he decided to run in.

    “They came and gave us an idea this was going to be redistricted,” Murphy said. “But they were going to support me regardless of where I went. They’re supporting me as the individual, not as a district person, which I appreciate tremendously. And so they had no undue influence on as to where I was going to pick.” 

    Davis is also debating his political future. In an interview with Spectrum News 1 he said he hasn’t decided what district he will run in.

    “We’re going to look at both districts, which we’re in the process of beginning to do,” Davis said. “We’re going to look at all kinds of factors, analysis.”

    Under the new map the 1st District doesn’t include Wilson, Lenoir or Wayne counties. It also doesn’t include Green County, where Davis lives.

    Davis said he hopes to make a decision in the “near future.”

    In a statement after the General Assembly’s vote on Wednesday, Davis called it “one of the darkest moments of our state’s history.”

    “This is not what people want. People want us to stay focused on their issues,” Davis told Spectrum News 1.

    The Republican-controlled General Assembly took up mid-decade redistricting following similar actions by other states. Texas started the process after urging from President Donald Trump.

    The new North Carolina map results in 11 districts heavily favored for Republicans and three for Democrats. That’s despite many political analysts who label the state as a toss-up or lean Republican.  

    If Davis decides to run in District 3 it would result in a matchup between two incumbents: Davis and Murphy.

    “This decision was made solely upon what I believe, what my team believed was best for us. If there is a big matchup, I think it’s unfortunate. Don and I are on friendly terms, but you know it is what it is. That’s what politics is all about,” Murphy said. 

    “I would say that Rep. Murphy, he’s been in tune and we’ve actually worked on issues together,” Davis said. “But at the end of the day, this is now about looking at the map and allowing a route that we believe best represents the voice of the people of eastern North Carolina and so everyone can be heard. To me all options are on the table.”

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  • N.C.’s ever-changing election maps cause confusion for voters

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    North Carolina’s new congressional map, passed by the Republican-controlled General Assembly, is the latest in a series of redistrictings the state has had in recent years.

    The constant redrawing of district lines can leave voters confused about who represents them in Congress.

    Dennis Mersereau has called the Greensboro area home for 15 years and in that time he’s had a lot of different people representing him in Congress.

    “I think I’ve had five or six different representatives. It’s hard to keep track of them because they keep shifting us around so much,” Mersereau said.

    He lives in Reidsville outside Greensboro, a city that’s been ground zero in the state’s shifting congressional district lines.

    North Carolina has had five maps used in elections over the past 15 years and that’s not counting two that were struck down before they could be used. This week the Republican-controlled General Assembly pushed through a sixth map. 

    “Reidsville shouldn’t be in the same district as Greensboro because Greensboro is its own distinct community,” Mersereau said. 

    Former Democratic Rep. Kathy Manning used to represent Greensboro before Republican state lawmakers approved a map that carved up the heavily Democratic city into three districts, each with more Republican voters than Democrats.

    Manning decided not to seek reelection in 2024 because she thought it would be too difficult to win.

    “We have three different people in Congress who are supposed to represent Guilford County and Greensboro and they don’t represent the values that the vast majority of people in my former district hold,” Manning said.

    Both Republicans and Democrats are guilty of gerrymandering in North Carolina and around the country. But with so many different maps in North Carolina in recent years, with changes to the congressional delegation, there are concerns voters may not even know who their member of Congress is.

    “Every time they do a round of redistricting, I have to learn who our representative is and it’s a pain in the butt,” Mersereau said.

    The shifting maps are also a challenge for lawmakers and their offices, which spend lots of time focused on district-specific issues.

    “I think it’s very difficult on the representatives themselves. They want to know the districts they represent. They want to represent the people in the best way they can,” Manning said.  

    “Surely this is dizzying for not only the voters but also the representatives,” said Princeton Gerrymandering Project Director Sam Wang. “That bond between voters and their representatives breaks in a situation like North Carolina where the map gets redrawn every two years.”

    Spectrum News found people on both sides of the aisle who say the current system where maps are drawn by elected officials isn’t working.

    “The independent redistricting question is something I think we should have,” Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican, told Spectrum News. “I do believe it should be subject to a political vote by the legislature.”

    “The founding fathers envisioned that there would be a political decision process in redistricting, but that’s not going to happen in this political environment,” Tillis said.

    Many states have independent redistricting commissions that are supposed to take politics out of the process. But in California and Virginia, Democrats are moving to take control of the process to counter President Donald Trump urging Republican states to redraw district lines to benefit the GOP.

    In North Carolina, it would fall to the General Assembly to create a commission, something not likely to happen.

    “I don’t care who started it, you know it’s wrong. Both parties are going to have to decide, in the long run this is not good for the country, and we need to stop the political, the partisan gerrymandering,” Manning said.

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  • Is Trump administration violating the Hatch Act?

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    The Trump administration is on the attack over the federal government shutdown. The attacks aren’t just coming from the White House but also federal agencies that are supposed to be absent of partisanship.

    What You Need To Know

    • Some federal agencies are directing blame toward Democrats over the shutdown

    • Ethics concerns are being raised about those actions

    • One of the concerns centers on the federal Hatch Act



    The Department of Housing and Urban Development that has a banner on its website saying “The radical left in Congress shut down the government …” and the Department of Justice website says “Democrats have shut down the government.” Numerous other federal agencies have posted partisan language blaming Democrats for the government shutdown.

    ”I’ve never seen something so extremely partisan as what we have here,” said University of Minnesota law professor Richard Painter, who was former President George W. Bush’s chief ethics lawyer.

    Partisanship is supposed to be removed from federal agencies. The federal Hatch Act passed in 1939 aims to ensure federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion, and it restricts federal employees from engaging in political activity while on duty.

    On Tuesday the organization Public Citizen filed a Hatch Act complaint against the housing secretary saying “the official HUD web page includes two highly partisan postings.”

    “I believe the Hatch Act could be violated in these situations if there is a mention of the elections, candidates or political slogans. These communications are right up to the line,” Painter said.

    Painter said the Trump administration is getting very close to violating the Hatch Act because the postings could potentially be used to influence an election.

    He says the postings are clearly in violation of the Anti-Lobbying Act, which prohibits appropriated funds to influence members of Congress.

    “These agency web pages are funded by the taxpayers,” Painter said. “This is a use of taxpayer money to lobby Congress … to put pressure on the Democrats to cave in the budget negotiations that are leading to this shutdown. This is an illegal use of taxpayer money.”

    A White House official tells Spectrum News the Trump administration is just sharing the truth with the American people and points to examples in the Biden and Obama administrations when they assigned partisan blame on Republicans.

    Painter said it’s true, especially in the Biden administration, that there were violations, but nothing to this level.

    “The so and so did it, so and so did this, so and so did that, and therefore I can do even worse, that isn’t an argument that is acceptable for the leader of the free world,” Painter said. 

    Hatch Act complaints are reviewed by the Office of Special Counsel. But any violations by White House-commissioned officers will be referred to the president for appropriate action, so in this case there likely wouldn’t be any penalty.

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  • Harris campaign reaching out to HBCUs, Trump touts minority outreach

    Harris campaign reaching out to HBCUs, Trump touts minority outreach

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    If Vice President Kamala Harris wins in November, she would make history on numerous fronts, not only as the first female president, but also the first Asian American and the first graduate of a Historically Black University and College to hold the office.

    What You Need To Know

    • Vice President Kamala Harris is running a historic campaign. Not only would she be the first female president if elected, but she would be the first Asian American president

    • Harris would also be the first graduate of a HBCU to hold the office if elected

    • A Trump senior campaign manager says no one is a bigger adovocate AAPI community than former President Trump

    • HBCUs told Spectrum News 1 its discussions with both campaigns on issues of increasing funding for HBCUs and more has been very limited

    In her appearances, Harris rarely mentions the historic nature of her candidacy, but behind the scenes her campaign is reaching out to voters who are Asian American and voters who are affiliated with HBCUs.

    Asian Americans are a growing electorate nationally.

    About 15 million Asian Americans are projected to be eligible to vote in 2024, up 15% from 2020, according to Pew Research.

    And in the battleground state of North Carolina, the number of AAPI voters grew 86% from 2010 to 2020, much higher than the overall eligible voting population increase of 16%, according to N.C. Asian Americans Together (NCAAT).

    Despite the jump, advocates said in recent elections AAPI voters were often ignored.

    “NCAAT was founded in 2016 when 80% of the AAPI population had never been contacted about an election by anyone, so that’s including candidates, that’s including organizing groups,” said NCAAT Senior Communications Manager Giselle Pagunaran.

    In 2020, Pew Research said Asian Americans made up 4% of voters, the majority voted for Joe Biden in 2020.

    Trump Campaign Senior Advisor Steven Cheung told Spectrum News 1 there is no bigger advocate for the AAPI community than Donald Trump, and he “created an environment where diversity, equal opportunity, and prosperity were afforded to everybody.” But this year he faces Harris, whose mother immigrated to the U.S. from India.

    A source with the Harris campaign said the campaign invested earlier and with more money that ever in reaching AANHPI voters and has aired targeted advertising towards Asian American voters.

    Harris would not only make history as the first Asian American president but also the first graduate of a HBCU. She’s an alum of Howard University.

    North Carolina has 11 HBCUs, which is the most in the country after Alabama. In 2020, Trump only won the state by around 75,000 votes, so the schools’ students and alumni networks could be significant. 

    Arianna Arnold is a student a North Carolina A&T University, which is the largest HBCU in the country. She’s planning to vote for Harris, although not because Harris attended an HBCU.

    “It’s great to see the representation, but I don’t think it would have swayed my vote if she had gone to any other university,” Arnold said.

    The Harris campaign tells Spectrum News 1 it’s held numerous events at HBCU’s and has 80 staffers dedicated to student outreach in North Carolina, which includes at HBCUs.

    Trump Campaign Black Media Director Janiyah Thomas didn’t elaborate on the campaign’s specific HBCU outreach, but told Spectrum News Democrats have taken HBCU student support for granted, while Trump is committed to Black Americans.

    Since becoming vice president, Harris has made regular stops at HBCUs around the country, but an organization that works with HBCUs told Spectrum News 1 its discussions with both campaigns on issues of increasing funding for HBCUs and more are very limited.

    “These two campaigns, and this entire campaign, have been much more personality focused than policy focused,” said UNCF Senior Vice President Lodriguez Murray. “That’s a direct contrast from four years ago when their in-depth discussions months and months before the election, so we knew where each campaign stood.”

    That has the potential to hurt enthusiasm on campuses as both Trump and Harris try and appeal to a group of students who could have a lot of sway in a state the campaigns are eagerly trying to win.

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    Reuben Jones

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  • Flood of misinformation hits N.C. mountains following Helene. Here are the facts

    Flood of misinformation hits N.C. mountains following Helene. Here are the facts

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    A flood of misinformation has inundated social media and western North Carolina since Helene hit. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Powerful storm Helene hit North Carolina’s mountain communities hard, causing complete devastation to towns, cities and their infrastructure

    • In the storm’s aftermath, misinformation has swamped social media, muddying the facts and the situation

    • Hoaxes, conspiracy theories and deep fakes are flooding feeds for people on social media

    • Agencies and organizations are working to correct the narratives and false details

    The misinformation is a mix of rumors, hoaxes and conspiracy theories that in some cases come from AI-generate footage or old events that happened somewhere else.

    One rumor was the town of Chimney Rock was going to be seized by the government and bulldozed. It sparked the county’s emergency department to issue a statement that said: “There have been no discussions or actions taken by the federal, state, or local government related to property seizure in Chimney Rock or any other part of Rutherford County.”

    Another rumor was FEMA was confiscating donations for survivors.

    Helene caused extensive damage to the Blue Ridge Parkway. (National Park Service)

    FEMA said that too was false. The agency does not take away donations or food from survivors or voluntary organizations. FEMA also does not conduct vehicle stops, because that is handled by local law enforcement.

    FEMA also does not ask for cash donations and is not supposed to turn away volunteers. 

    While some of the origins of the rumors are hard to pinpoint, some are being amplified by politicians, including former President Donald Trump.

    In a speech in Pennsylvania on Saturday, Trump said “they’re offering them $750 to people who’s homes have been washed away, and yet we send tens of billions of dollars to countries that most people have never heard of.”

    FEMA does offer $750 to storm victims, but context is important. It’s only one type of help known as Serious Needs Assistance.

    The assistance is actually a new type of aid from FEMA, and while it does count toward the maximum amount of other needs assistance eligible people can receive, it’s by no means the only funding victims can receive from FEMA.

    The agency said the goal of that $750 is to be immediate to cover items like food, water and baby formula. It’s the short-term help not the long-term.

    On Thursday, Trump made also this claim in Michigan: “Kamala spent all her FEMA money, billions of dollars, on housing of illegal migrants…and the Harris-Biden administration says they don’t have any money, they spent all of their money on illegal migrants.”

    FEMA does have a shelter and services program where it reimburses cities, towns or and organizations for immigration-related expenses but that comes from a separate pot of money that’s funded by Congress.

    The town of Webster is gathering donations for those impacted by storm damage in North Carolina. (Spectrum News 1)

    The help FEMA is providing to western North Carolina is from the Disaster Relief Fund.

    “We could have a discussion about the failure of this administration’s border policies and the billions of dollars it’s costing. But right now, not yet is it affecting the flow of resources to western North Carolina,” said (R-NC) Sen. Thom Tillis on CBS’ Face the Nation on Sunday.

    And while FEMA said there are long-term funding concerns the agency does currently have enough money for Helene response. The agency encourages people affected by Helene not to hesitate and to apply for aid at disasterassistance.gov.

    These examples are just a sampling of some of the misinformation that’s emerged in the past week. 

    Republican North Carolina state senator Kevin Corbin issued a plea on Facebook writing in part “please help stop this junk,” he wrote. “It is just a distraction to people trying to do their job. Folks, this is a catastrophic event of which this country has never known.”

    And on Tuesday Rep. Chuck Edwards, a Republican representing western North Carolina, issued a press release debunking a series of myths writing: “I encourage you to remember that everything you see on Facebook, X, or any other social media platform is not always fact. Please make sure you are fact checking what you read online with a reputable source.”

    The town of Webster is gathering donations for those impacted by storm damage in North Carolina. (Spectrum News 1)

    There has no doubt been criticism for how the government has responded to Helene.

    Some of that centers on whether the assigned soldiers, ordered by President Joe Biden, have shifted to western North Carolina quickly enough and whether the state was truly ready for a disaster of this level.

    That debate will continue, but on the flip side, there’s been praise for how the federal government has responded to Helene, including from the Republican governors of South Carolina and Tennessee. North Carolina’s Democratic governor has also praised the Biden administration’s response.

    What is not up for debate is fact versus fiction, and first responders say the latter is making a dangerous situation even worse. 

    To help storm victims, visit nc.gov/donate. The fund is run by the United Way of North Carolina.

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    Reuben Jones

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  • In interview, RNC chair distances party from Project 2025

    In interview, RNC chair distances party from Project 2025

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    Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley distanced his party from the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 — an administration-in-waiting crafted by the right-wing think tank — telling Spectrum News in Milwaukee on Monday that “we have absolutely nothing to do with Project 2025.”

    What You Need To Know

    • In an interview with Spectrum News in Milwaukee on Monday, Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley distanced his party from the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025

    • Whatley’s comments come as Trump, in a separate interview taped last week and released Monday, named one of the report’s authors, Tom Homan, as someone he would appoint in a second term to help oversee his immigration policies

    • According to a CNN analysis, at least 140 veterans of the Trump administration, including six former Cabinet secretaries, helped craft Project 2025’s “Mandate for Leadership” report

    • Whatley also discussed the impact the assassination attempt on Trump over the weekend will have on the convention



    “That project is a complete standalone entity. It has nothing to do with the RNC. It has nothing to do with the Trump campaign,” Whatley said. “There may or may not be some good ideas in there, but right now, we’re focused on our platform, which we adopted at the RNC and is going to be taken up by the convention.”

    The RNC’s platform committee approved a 16-page policy document last week, far shorter than previous iterations of the party’s platform and a fraction of the size of Project 2025’s 922-page planning document — which was authored by dozens of Trump allies and former administration and campaign officials. Trump has also distanced himself from the project and some of the hard-right policies it proposes that have become a focal point of the Biden campaign.

    But in an interview taped last week and that aired on Monday morning, Trump named one of the report’s authors, Tom Homan, as someone he would appoint in a second term to help oversee his immigration policies. Homan is a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation and served as acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the first Trump administration, when he was a key figure behind the policy of separating migrant children from their parents.

    “I have Tom Homan lined up, we have the greatest people,” Trump told Fox News host Harris Faulkner when discussing Vice President Kamala Harris and border policy. Trump also said “we’re bringing back Tom Homan” at a Florida rally last week.

    According to a CNN analysis, at least 140 veterans of the Trump administration, including six former Cabinet secretaries, helped craft Project 2025’s “Mandate for Leadership” report.

    In his interview with Spectrum News, Whatley also discussed the impact the assassination attempt on Trump over the weekend will have on the convention.

    “I think obviously the president has said that he intends to write a new speech and have a different conversation with the voters, but our conversation with all American families really doesn’t change, because this entire convention is about speaking directly to the American people about the issues that they’re worried about, right?” Whatley said. “This is about jobs and the economy. It’s about safety. It’s about security. And certainly safety takes on a whole other connotation in light of an event like this.”

    When asked if Americans would hear from Trump each of the four nights of the convention, which runs through Thursday, Whatley said “stay tuned.”

    Whatley, who was handpicked by Trump to run the party after the former president successfully beat back his primary rivals, spoke of the importance of his home state North Carolina, whose state Republican Party he ran. 

    “We’re very proud of the role that North Carolina is playing in this convention. Both [RNC vice chair] Lara Trump and I, coming from North Carolina, obviously, have a very soft spot in our heart for it,” Whatley said. “North Carolina is a very, very critical, important battleground state and the state party down there, led by Jason Simmons, is doing a fantastic job of making sure that we’re in a position to be able to carry it for the third time in a row for Donald Trump.”

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    Joseph Konig

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  • Biden to visit Wilmington this week to discuss Investing in America agenda

    Biden to visit Wilmington this week to discuss Investing in America agenda

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    President Joe Biden will visit Wilmington, North Carolina on Thursday, according to a White House official.

    The White House official said the president will “discuss how his Investing in America agenda is rebuilding our infrastructure and creating good-paying jobs in Wilmington and across the country.”

    Biden last visited North Carolina at the end of March when he and Vice President Kamala Harris stopped in Raleigh. They spoke about lowering health care costs to a crowd at a community center.

    Former President Donald Trump was scheduled to speak in Wilmington on April 20, but he canceled the event because of storms and severe weather that evening.

    Biden and Trump have focused significant time in the battleground state of North Carolina. The Biden campaign has invested significant financial resources as they try to flip it blue. North Carolina hasn’t voted for a Democratic presidential nominee since Barack Obama in 2008.

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    Reuben Jones

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  • Republicans vie to replace outgoing Patrick McHenry

    Republicans vie to replace outgoing Patrick McHenry

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    Rep. Patrick McHenry’s departure from Congress next year will be significant for the North Carolina congressional delegation. He was arguably the most influential Representative from the state in Congress last year.

    McHenry briefly served as acting Speaker of the House when Kevin McCarthy was ousted and he serves as chair of the House Financial Services Committee.

    North Carolina has new congressional districts for the 2024 elections. (NCGA)

    McHenry has represented North Carolina’s 10th District for almost two decades but recently announced he would leave Congress after this term.

    The newly redistricted 10th District, drawn by state Republican lawmakers, is located north of Charlotte and includes Statesville and parts of Winston-Salem. It remains solidly Republican, which means whoever wins the March 5 primary will likely be the winner in November.

    Republicans Charles Eller, Brooke McGowan, Diana Jimison, Grey Mills and Pat Harrigan are running.

    Mills and Harrigan are getting the most attention.

    Harrigan is an Afghanistan war veteran who owns a gun manufacturing business. He lost to Democrat Jeff Jackson in the 14th district last election.

    “When you have a redistricting process every two years and you don’t get to hold the cards…we kind of have to go with where the political winds blow,” Harrigan told Spectrum News 1.

    Mills is an attorney in his fourth term in the North Carolina House of Representatives.

    “I’m upset, just like many people, with the lack of leadership coming out of the White House. And a lot of people in Congress are distracted. So, I’m running to take our values to Washington, D.C.,” Mills said in an interview.

    Both candidates said security at the U.S.-Mexico border is their top issue.

    But Harrigan and Mills said they would have voted against the bipartisan Senate border package that was endorsed by the conservative National Border Patrol Council but failed to get enough votes from Senate Republicans in February.

    “We can do a lot better than that…. on this issue, we need to stand united. We have got to address the problems. That bill didn’t go far enough,” said Mills.

    “That bipartisan legislation was an absolute slap in the face to the American people because it didn’t solve the problem of fixing the national security threat that exists at the southern border,” said Harrigan.

    The Mills campaign has accused Harrigan of being soft on immigration, pointing to stances he took in 2022 when he ran in a much more Democratic district.

    While not calling Mills out by name. Harrigan said voters are tired of attorneys turned politicians. 

    On Ukraine, Harrigan said the U.S border needs to be addressed before sending more funding to the war-torn country. Mills said he wants to see a clearer path to victory and didn’t specify to us whether he would support more funding.

    On the question of a federal abortion ban, Mills said he would want to see the legislation before committing, but said he would vote to “save lives.”

    In 2022, when Harrigan was running in the 14th District, he told us he did not support a federal ban on abortion. He now said, given the makeup of this different district. He would support one. But, he added, he supports certain exceptions.

    Both men are looking to replace McHenry, who was the only North Carolina Republican in 2021 to vote to certify Joe Biden’s election win.

    Harrigan said he also would have certified the results. Mills did not directly answer the question.

    McHenry has not endorsed a candidate in this primary race.

    Two people who have endorsed are NC House Speaker and 14th Congressional Republican candidate Tim Moore and Lt. Gov. and Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson.

    Moore endorsed Mills. Robinson endorsed Harrigan.

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    Reuben Jones

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  • Lawmakers react to Trump’s NATO remarks

    Lawmakers react to Trump’s NATO remarks

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    Lawmakers across the state and country reacted to former President Donald Trump’s remarks on NATO and a proposal to limit THC content advances in Tallahassee.


    Florida lawmakers react to Trump’s NATO remarks

    Trump raised eyebrows during a rally in South Carolina on Saturday, when he recalled how as president he told an unidentified NATO member that he would “encourage” Russia to do as it wishes in cases of NATO allies who are “delinquent.”

    “You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?’” Trump recounted saying. “‘No I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills.’”

    Trump’s comments sparked applause and cheers from the crowd in Conway, South Carolina.

    In a statement released by his reelection campaign, Biden hailed the efforts his administration has taken to bolster the treaty organization in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

    “Under my administration, the United States of America has stood shoulder to shoulder with our allies to build a NATO alliance that is bigger and stronger than ever and stands in defense of democracy against Vladimir Putin’s authoritarian aggression,” the Democratic president said. “America’s leadership on the world stage and support for our allies is critical to keeping the American people safe here at home.”

    “If my opponent, Donald Trump, is able to regain power, he is making it clear as day that he will abandon our NATO allies if Russia attacks and allow Russia to ‘do whatever the hell they want’ with them,” Biden continued. “Serving as Commander-in-Chief is the ultimate responsibility and one that should weigh heavily on the individuals that hold this office.”

    “Donald Trump’s admission that he intends to give Putin a green light for more war and violence, to continue his brutal assault against a free Ukraine, and to expand his aggression to the people of Poland and the Baltic States are appalling and dangerous. Sadly, they are also predictable coming from a man who is promising to rule as a dictator like the ones he praises on day one if he returns to the oval office.”

    “What Donald Trump is doing is giving a green light to Russia,” Sen. Chris Murphy said.

    As president, Trump questioned the need for NATO, which was founded under the principle that an attack on any member country is considered an attack against all members. He pushed for member countries to commit more money to military spending.

    “I think that people should take everything he says seriously but not literally. That’s simply the president telling NATO countries they need to step up and pay their part. It’s that simple. I think everybody is overreacting,” Sen. Roger Marchall said.

    Despite Republicans shooting down a new foreign aid package tied with border security last week, senators are moving forward this week with new aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, this time without border security included.

    The response on social media to the former president’s comments ran the gamut on “X,” the platform formerly known as Twitter. “Holding your allies accountable for not investing in their own defense for decades is the responsible thing to do. Instead, the Biden admin keeps demanding American tax payers dig deeper into their pockets!” Rep. Michael Waltz said.

    Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton responded as well. “Trump sells out our NATO allies to Putin. This should be front-page news of every paper in the country. These are the stakes of 2024,” she said.

    THC limiting bill advances

    Step foot in enough gas stations and it won’t be long before you see Delta 8 or Delta 10 products. They’re part of a variety of THC products. And this year, they are getting the attention of lawmakers.

    Hemp restrictions are moving forward in the Florida House. HB 1613 would regulate Florida’s THC market if passed as currently written. The bill cracks down on popular THC products like Delta 8 and Delta 10.

    “Are we criminalizing the possession of non compliant hemp? No, this bill is not designed to criminalize behavior. This bill is designed to be a consumer protection tool,” Rep. Tommy Gregory said about the proposal.

    Further, the bill targets hemp marketing. It bans packaging that might attract children.

    Supporters and critics, meanwhile, agree that hemp products are like the wild west.

    “They come in gummies. You can buy them at convenience stores. You can buy them in vape shops. They come in vape pens. They come in smoakble flower. They come in a variety of different containers,” Hemp industry advocate Jeff Sharkey said.

    The measure cleared its second committee stop on Monday. It has one more committee stop, and then it’s ready for a final vote in the House.

    State could create rules for EV charging stations

    A proposed bill would put the state in control of creating rules for electric vehicle charging stations in Florida and prevent local cities from enacting their own laws.

    “It would cause our ordinance to be not in compliance,” Largo Mayor Woody Brown said. “We’d have to undo that.”

    House Bill 1071, sponsored by Rep. Danny Alvarez, R-Hillsborough, and Senate Bill 1084, sponsored by Sen. Jay Collins, R-Tampa, would have the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services regulate EV charging stations, which already oversees gas station pumps. The state lawmakers said they want to see one set of rules for Florida, instead of a patchwork in different counties that could stifle the EV market.

    Largo is one of 12 cities in Florida that already has established rules governing the minimum number of EV charging stations needed for new developments. The local ordinance passed in March 2022 and calls for one station for parking lots with 10-25 spaces, two stations for 26-50 spaces, four stations for 51-75 and 6 stations for 76-100 spaces.

    “We’ve already got an ordinance in place that was well thought out,” Brown said. “We decided that really we need to have charging at home for people and when they live in apartments…they should have that opportunity.”

    The mayor said a new EV charging station was recently installed at Largo City Hall. Brown said he wouldn’t have a problem with the state setting a minimum standard, but the law should not prevent cities from going further.

    “It’s basically a preemption that says cities can’t do something which is kind of a theme coming out of Tallahassee recently,” he said.  “I don’t mind the state minimum for cities like ours but it shouldn’t preempt for use from encouraging electrical vehicle charging stations in our new buildings.”

    The Florida building code currently requires two EV charging stations for new parking lots with at least 25 spaces.

    The EV charging station language in the proposed legislation is a small part of a much larger bill which includes banning the manufacture and sale of lab-grown meat. The Florida Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture held a hearing on Thursday about the proposed ordinance.

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    Gary Darling

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