NORTH CAROLINA OPEN THREAD for Sunday, August 22, 2021
327th Weekly Edition
This is a weekly feature of North Carolina Blue. We hope this weekly platform gives readers interested in North Carolina politics a place to share their knowledge, insight and inspiration as we work on taking back our state from some of the most extreme Republicans in the nation. Please join us every week. You can also join the discussion in four other weekly State Open Threads.
Colorado: Mondays, 7:00 PM Mountain Michigan: Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Eastern North Carolina: Sundays, 1:00 PM Eastern Missouri: Wednesday Evenings Kansas: Monday Evenings
Something you want to highlight? kosmail or email at randalltdkos at gmail. Twitter: @randallt
Covid data 8/22/2021 1:00pm EDT
Click here for Covid-19 data from Worldometer Real Time World Statistics.
USA NC Total Cases New Cases Total Deaths New Deaths Total Recovered Active Cases 1,144,894 14,059 1,047,722 83,113
Track NC Covid Data Track NC Vaccine Data
Please jump the fold for links to stories I found interesting, useful and timely. The floor is yours.
PW special report: Demystifying the redistricting process
NCPW, Yanqi Xu, 8/20/21
As lawmakers move forward with drawing new maps, experts explain the tricks of the trade, how we can do better, and why gerrymandering is so hard to eradicate
State lawmakers voted to approve the new criteria for redrawing congressional, state House and Senate districts last week.
Legislative redistricting starts with a county clustering process because of a provision in the state constitution that legislative districts should avoid splitting county lines. Congressional districts do not need to follow the county clustering rule.
Operating under the new criteria, legislators still have a lot of leeway, and it remains to be seen how the process plays out. However, years of litigation have prompted researchers to apply scientific rigor to the potentially contentious process. Here’s are some key facts you need to know:
County clustering: the first step If we compare redistricting to the process of making and splitting a cake, census data give us the measurement of each ingredient.
New report identifies optimal county clusters Researchers found 16 possible sets of county groupings for the state Senate and eight for the House.
Gerrymandering: easy enough to identify, but hard to root out Experts at the Brennan Center for Justice described the new redistricting cycle as “the most challenging ever” because of what they describe as a conservative backlash against the growing political power of communities of color.
FLOODING IN NC MOUNTAIN AREAS CAUSED BY FRED IS HORRIFIC
The water that tore through Pressley’s home on Tuesday, caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred, killed at least two people and has left 20 more missing as of Thursday, according to officials with Haywood County Emergency Services. The identities of the deceased have not yet been released. Emergency crews from around the state are on the ground to assist local personnel from the small towns that make up this part of the Blue Ridge Mountains region. The area is popular with tourists, campers and hikers, known for its scenic mountain views and beautiful rivers. But on Thursday, crews were searching for people who went missing shortly after the Pigeon River had crested its banks. Haywood County Emergency Services director Travis Donaldson said a search mission is underway by close to 200 personnel, along 47 miles of riverbank. https://www.newsobserver.com/news/weather-news/article253605053.html
‘We’re standing strong, but we need your support.’ Haywood rallies together after severe storm damage
EDNC.org, 8/20/2021
Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency on Wednesday after Tropical Depression Fred dropped over a foot of rain in areas throughout Haywood County.
The areas hardest hit in the county include Cruso, Bethel, Center Pigeon, Lake Logan, and the towns of Canton and Clyde.
Locals say the impact of this storm is worse than the damage caused by Hurricanes Frances and Ivan in 2004.
This story has a deep dive into many of the community resources available, how you can help, and a broader look at the storm’s impact.
NC vaccination rates by county with interactive map
RALEIGH'S HOPSCOTCH MUSIC FESTIVAL WILL REQUIRE VACCINE CARD
BlueNC, 8/21/2021
In order to gain entry, attendees will need to show their vaccination card, a photocopy of it, or photograph of it on their phone, or they’ll need to show negative test result for the virus obtained within 72 hours “for each day that you attend the festival,” organizers said in an announcement on the festival’s website. Attendees must also bring photo ID. The festival is also strongly encouraging attendees to wear masks, regardless of their vaccination status or seating location. And while the festival will be held at outdoor stages in Downtown Raleigh, event organizers reminded patrons that masks will be required at all indoor spaces, per the city’s recently adopted mask mandate. https://www.newsobserver.com/entertainment/article253640183.html
TEENAGERS WHO WANT COVID VACCINE HAVE TO GET PARENTAL CONSENT
BlueNC, 8/21/2021
State law has given minors the ability on their own to be treated for certain health issues, including communicable diseases. That had included a COVID-19 vaccine if they showed "the decisional capacity to do so,” according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. That worried some legislators and their constituents, who wanted more say over whether their child could be immunized given the speed in which the vaccine was approved. The new prerequisite, which would end once an emergency-use designation is removed, comes as many parents seek the vaccine for their older children as schools on traditional school calendars return to class next week. As of Friday, 292,759 North Carolina youths age 12 to 17 have gotten at least one shot of the two-dose Pfizer vaccine, DHHS data shows. The vaccinated youth are close to 37% of the nearly 800,000 children in that age group. That's not enough, and frankly, a whole lot of those parents are too immature and stupid to be given that authority. https://www.wral.com/parental-consent-for-covid-19-vaccine-now-law-in-n-carolina/19835375/
Thanks for reading and contributing. Please stay safe out there, I hope you have a good week.