Welcome. This is a weekly feature of North Carolina Blue. The platform gives readers interested in North Carolina politics a place to share their knowledge, insight and inspiration as we take back our state from some of the most extreme Republicans in the nation. Please stop by each week. You can also join the discussion in four other weekly State Open Threads. If you are interested in starting your own state blog, weekly to occasionally, I will list your work below.
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
I hope you find the following links interesting and relevant.
UNC's pro-Palestinian encampment enters second day as tents remain deconstructed
The "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" on Polk Place at UNC has entered its second day. As of 9:45 a.m. on Saturday, the pro-Palestinian demonstration has remained on UNC grounds for 24 hours.
The encampment demanding UNC to divest from products supporting Israeli military action and commit to transparency regarding investments has remained relatively quiet throughout the morning. More than 20 tents lay unconstructed on the grass, complying with the UNC administration's stipulations.
It's clear the protesters have no plans of leaving. A march is planned for Sunday at 3 p.m. on Polk Place and a silent vigil is set for Tuesday, UNC's last day of classes, from 12 to 2 p.m. at Wilson Library.
With temperatures in the mid-50s and cloudy skies, demonstrators milled around the Quad with coffees in hand in the early hours of the day — most bundled in sweaters and jackets. Air mattresses were deflated and sleeping bags, rolled up.
Op-ed: Grounds workers should not be used to disrupt peaceful protests
One of the effects of higher level administrators flitting in and out of South Building on ever-inflated salaries is the seemingly more panicked and reactionary response to dealing with protest and dissent on campus.
The recent tented protest on Polk Place in solidarity with Columbia University students who were arrested while protesting the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza by camping on the university’s South Lawn saw UNC continue a dangerous precedent of forcing workers to become embroiled in campus politics.
In the 1960s, the campus roiled with protests related to both international events and events closer to home. There were Civil Rights protests, anti-war protests and, in 1969, Lenoir Dining Hall strikers saw state troopers deployed on campus. In 1997, housekeepers walked off the job seeking redress of largely unaddressed grievances festering since the '60s.
From the speaker ban to Silent Sam, students often reveal the inept farcical overreaction from campus administrators to protest and dissent. They did so again last week.
A more concerning issue, though, might be the increasing use of low-paid facilities employees to carry out the administrators reactionary response to protest on campus.
NC-GOV: The GOP Nominated a Dangerous Nutcase. What Can YOU Do to Help Elect Josh Stein?
How important is the governor’s race in North Carolina? NBC News characterized the race in this fashion:
North Carolina is gearing up to host the most pivotal — and most expensive — governor’s race in the country this fall.
Leading in the polls and in fundraising, two statewide elected officials, Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein and Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, are expected to advance to the general election to replace term-limited Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.
The stakes are high for North Carolina. With Republicans in solid control of the state Legislature, they have an opportunity to win a trifecta come November.
The stakes will also be high nationally. Of the 11 gubernatorial elections on the ballot this year, just two are occurring in presidential battleground states: North Carolina and New Hampshire.
North Carolina is expected to receive the most attention from national party figures and groups. As the larger state of the two, campaigns are more expensive to run in North Carolina. And voters in New Hampshire cast ballots for governor every two years rather than four.
The governor of North Carolina is the last bastion of the Democratic Party in the state, as the state legislature is grotesquely gerrymandered in favor of the GOP and the state Supreme Court has flipped to the Republican Party as well. It is the bridgehead from which we can slowly win back power in the swing state. If we lose this bridgehead, it will likely be a generation before we will win it back.
'Discriminatory' North Carolina law criminalizing felon voting struck down
Democracy defenders on Tuesday hailed a ruling from a U.S. federal judge striking down a 19th-century North Carolina law criminalizing people who vote while on parole, probation, or post-release supervision due to a felony conviction.
In Monday's decision, U.S. District Judge Loretta C. Biggs—an appointee of former Democratic President Barack Obama—sided with the North Carolina A. Philip Randolph Institute and Action NC, who argued that the 1877 law discriminated against Black people.
"The challenged statute was enacted with discriminatory intent, has not been cleansed of its discriminatory taint, and continues to disproportionately impact Black voters," Biggs wrote in her 25-page ruling.
Medicine from the Earth: Great Smoky Cannabis Company opens on 4/20
CHEROKEE, N.C. – Myrtle Driver Johnson, Beloved Woman of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), made history by making the first legal purchase of cannabis in the State of North Carolina. She purchased several cannabis products at the grand opening of the Great Smoky Cannabis Company, located in Cherokee, N.C., on the morning of Saturday, April 20. Eric Bird, an EBCI tribal member and employee at the company, showed her products and made the first sale.
The Great Smoky Cannabis Company is run by Qualla Enterprises, LLC, an entity of the EBCI.
“We built this thing with our Tribe and for our Tribe. We all work for the people.”
Parker stated that the wording under the company name on its logo is in Cherokee syllabary and translates into English as “Medicine from the Earth”.
Durham temporarily closing playgrounds in five parks to test further for lead
Durham Parks and Recreation is temporarily closing playgrounds today in Northgate, Walltown, East End, East Durham and Lyon Park to conduct further tests for lead contamination, the city announced this morning.
Playgrounds with liners and 12 inches of mulch were not originally tested, because the material is a barrier between bare soil and children playing. However, to ensure no lead has reached the surface, the playgrounds will be closed until the city receives test results and works with community members on a reopening plan.
Outdoor activities of the Walltown summer camp will be affected by these additional findings and new recommendations. Staff are working on a plan to ensure children are safe and have engaging outdoor activity during camp, according to the city, and “parents will be notified and have opportunities to discuss any changes with staff.”
Lead is a neurotoxin. Chronic exposure can cause permanent neurological and brain damage in children, who are especially vulnerable because they spend time outdoors and often put their hands in their mouths. Adults with high blood levels of lead can suffer from brain, kidney, heart and reproductive disorders.
NC’s governor praises weekend deal that averts major strike at Daimler Truck
Governor Roy Cooper is praising a tentative agreement between United Auto Workers and Daimler Truck. The UAW struck a four-year deal late Friday avoiding a potential strike that could have impacted more than 7,000 workers.
Cooper took to social media on Saturday to call the deal a “great win for hard working NC UAW members and their families.” Cooper also expressed his appreciation to UAW and Daimler leadership for staying at the negotiating table until the deal was done.
Attorney General Josh Stein, who is running for governor this year, echoed that sentiment saying North Carolina workers “deserve a fair shake that honors the work they do every day to provide for their families and keep our state strong.”
Sierra Ferrell and Steep Canyon Rangers are among the headliners for this fall's IBMA Bluegrass Live! event, organizers announced Wednesday.
Steep Canyon Rangers will be joined by special guests Chatham County Line for their set. Additional headliners for the Sept. 27-28 event at Red Hat Amphitheatre in downtown Raleigh include Sierra Hull, Sam Bush, Rhonda Vincent & the Rage, Danny Paisley, Amythyst Kiah and Crying Uncle.
In addition to the headliner stage, there will be six more stages throughout downtown Raleigh during the free street festival. Performers playing those stages include Balsam Range, Barefoot Movement, Hank, Pattie & the Current, Jim Lauderdale, Sister Sadie, The Tan & Sober Gentlemen and Tray Wellington Band.
Bluegrass Live! is part of the International Bluegrass Music Association's World of Bluegrass, which includes a business conference, showcases and the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards.
NFL draftees, signees from NC State, UNC and Duke
The seven-round NFL Draft concluded Saturday.
Here's a look at players from NC State, UNC and Duke that were selected in the three-day draft or have been confirmed to sign as undrafted free agents.
Draft wrapup: Panthers add verstaility, competition to roster
CHARLOTTE — From the moment Dan Morgan and Dave Canales took over here, they started talking about adding competition to every position.
And after filling a few specific needs in the first half of the draft, they continued that theme through the third day.
And as they look at the big picture after a far busier than normal free agency, they feel like they've created the kind of upgrades on offense they needed.
Free agency brought a pair of high-end starting guards in Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, so the team was able to add skill position talent throughout the draft in first-round wide receiver Xavier Legette, second-round running back Jonathon Brooks, and fourth-round tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders.
"I feel like we really took advantage of some of those spots to bring a bunch of talent into our roster," Canales said Saturday night. "Specifically talking about the offense, with a running back, a receiver and a tight end, skill-wise, just really bringing a little bit of juice there to really challenge that whole group and elevate the offense.
"So I'm really excited about what we did there."
Here's a look at the Panthers' 2025 picks as it stands:
— Their own first
— Los Angeles Rams' second
— Their own third
— Their own fourth
— Their own fifth
— New York Giants' fifth
— Their own sixth
— * Their own seventh, unless it's lower than Kansas City's.
— * Arizona's seventh, unless it's lower than Kansas City's.
(The Chiefs will get the higher of the two sevenths, but only one of them.)